Ai no Koinu
by Elora
Summary: Silverhair Inu Yasha is forced to go shopping for a Pet.. and ends up with more than he bargained for! Chapter 4 revised, NEW Chapter 5 UP!
1. Getting a Bargain

Just a quick note before we begin. This is actually a rather serious fic, so please don't expect to be laughing. (Of course, if it's bad enough that you are, please tell me! ;;;) You may not like all you read, and well.. that's the intent in all honesty. 

"Ai no Koinu" was originally posted as an maturely rated fanfic. However, since changed their policy on fanfiction ratings (which hasn't really worked, but oh well), I am presenting an edited version here. 

Chapter 1 is completely intact. The chapters after that may be edited for content here on Links to "uncut" versions will be posted, though, so those who wish to read the unedited version have access to it. 

I'm doing my best to keep the characters somewhat "in character" in this new universe, but if you see any non-AU-warranted OOCness, spelling errors, or grammar errors, it's all my fault because I didn't harass someone to beta for me originally. But the wonderful Leidy-sama is currently beta-ing for me, so I should have revisions up soon! My apologies in advance, and please enjoy the fic!

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**Rating:** R - For sexual situations and Inu Yasha's fondness for swear words. 

**Pairing:** Ultimately, IY/Kag. With hints of Sess/Kag and Kik/IY along the way. 

**Disclaimer:** Inu Yasha, Kagome, Sesshoumaru, Shippo, and Kikyou do not belong to me.. they are the creations of Takahashi Rumiko. Amoi, Tanagura.. in fact, the whole setting and any characters from the novel "Ai no Kusabi".. belong to Yoshihara Rieko. The actual story and lemony goodness, though, was written by me. But unfortunately, I don't work for Harlequin, so I'm not getting paid for this, so please don't sue me (because reviews are only considered riches to writers, not lawyers, and I might not even get many of those).

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**Ai no Koinu **

By Elora 

Chapter 1

"You are becoming quite a disgrace to this family.. Inu Yasha," the tall, effeminate silverhair with a deep voice that belied his beauty informed his younger brother, pitching the last two words slightly lower than the rest of the sentence so that they carried a hint of threat. 

The one being spoken to could obviously care less about what his older brother was saying. He looked at his nails, which had been filed to sharp points, as if they were ten times more interesting. "Yeah, yeah. Another day, another black mark. So what?" 

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at his brother's insolence. "I will say this only once. You have three days to find a Pet to your liking. Otherwise we shall have to take you in for behavior modification." 

Inu Yasha started, a slight flush spreading across his cheeks. "A.. a Pet..?" 

"You are a fully-functional male. Our business partners are beginning to wonder if there is some flaw in your make up. Even if there is, we must conceal it at all costs. It is highly irregular for someone of your age and status to not have at least one Pet." 

Inu Yasha lowered his eyes. Behavior modification? Brainwashing was the correct term. This wasn't an idle threat; he had seen some of his few friends go through it to emerge lifeless, soulless, and completely obedient. He'd rather die. 

But.. a Pet? 

"You have a budget of 20 million credits. Use it wisely." 

Inu Yasha continued to stare blankly at his lap. 

Satisfied that his point had been made, Sesshoumaru allowed himself a smirk. "You are dismissed." 

Inu Yasha got up, bowed mechanically in the fashion he had been taught to signal acquiesce, then made for the door. 

Back out on the streets of Eos, the silver-haired young man defiantly shoved his hands into his pockets and slouched in an attempt to hide his appearance somewhat. The red tailored jumpsuit he wore was distinctive enough, with the huge collar the shape of a large inverted triangle that spanned from his shoulders to the buckle of the white belt around his waist. Granted, the section of collar closest to his neck was red, and there were two generous lines of the same color going down either slope of the triangle, but he still felt it was too formal. Too much like that of a Blondie. 

In Tanagura, Amoi's capitol city, rank was determined by hair color. He and Sesshoumaru were silverhairs, the second-highest rank, just as their parents had been. Although the term "genetic material donors" would have been technically more correct. All the children of citizens were conceived and brought to the infant stage in specialized laboratories. Parents supplied the materials and raised the result. 

The only ones who still bred naturally were the mongrels, non-citizens whose ancestors had tried to rise against the power of their supreme leader, Jupiter. Mongrels were considered worse than trash. 

The lowest-ranked citizens were those with black hair, followed by redhairs, greenhairs, bluehairs, then silver. The ones above the silverhairs were the Blondies, androids with human brains built by Jupiter herself to fill the highest executive positions in Tanagura. But the only place you ever really saw a Blondie was at an exclusive business meeting or social function hosted by one. 

Being the highest social rank that was still completely human made you stand out wherever you went, so a high priority was placed on propriety at all times. Silverhairs set an example for the rest of society, so they had to be as flawless as humanly possible. 

And for a fully-functional male at that social level to not have at least one Pet was a complete disgrace. 

Fighting the disgusted look off his face, Inu Yasha hailed a taxi. Once inside the conveyance, he directed the vehicle to Orange Road.. the area most famed for its Pet shops. 

Pets were raised as entertainment for the prominent members of society. Owning one was a sign of your rank. Some silverhairs he knew.. like Sesshoumaru.. had an entire harem. 

The centerpiece of most galas and get-togethers was a Pet show. Two or more Pets would parade around serving guests' every desire until it was time for the show. And the show was naught but well-choreographed sex. Inu Yasha had been forced to witness a couple, and he'd been more embarrassed than anything else. But it was more embarrassment _for_ the Pets, than at their antics. Having to participate in something so base for the entertainment of others.. he had wondered how they survived. 

Then he'd met Kikyou. 

The taxi stopped and Inu Yasha was forced to snap himself out of his reverie. He paid the driver, got out, and began his disinterested journey. 

He'd been with Sesshoumaru enough times to know what to expect. In every store, sales clerks bustled right up to him, eager to show him their latest and best acquisitions. He ran his eyes over the stock critically. Some owners had an eye for both male and female Pets, but Inu Yasha's gaze tended to land on a firm pair of breasts or a shapely set of hips. If he had to get a Pet, he knew it would be female, regardless of how provocatively some of the males were posing. 

Then there were some Pets that merely hung back and stared at his unusual gold eyes.. and his damn ears. 

He knew why his father had passed on his keen senses of sight and smell to his sons, but what had possessed him to give his youngest child a pair of triangular ears on top of his head? 

Inu Yasha forcibly shook off his irritation, seeing even more Pets back away at the sight of the sharp canines his silent growl had revealed. 

This was no time to be trying to fathom the intentions of the previous generation. 

Several hours later, all the best, and even mid-level, Pet shops had been searched. But Inu Yasha had not even found one he liked enough to buy. 

That left only one place then.. the Mistral Park auctions. 

Once again, he flagged down a taxi and directed it halfway across Tanagura. 

The Mistral auctions were generally considered to be the best place to get rare and unusual Pets, or something cheap to fill out a harem. Virtually all Grade-A Pets, the most highly trained and therefore most valuable, could only be found at the auction. Inu Yasha had a feeling that at least half of the Pets in the stores he had gone to were originally bought from Mistral. 

At first glance, the metal building with its gaudy yellow-and-orange-striped tent-like roof looked more like it should hold a circus than the serious buying and trading that took place within its walls. 

Although if he thought about it, the auctions could get rather like circus events, with the "audience" roaring and cheering as they clamored to buy whatever exotic piece of goods was on display for their viewing pleasure. 

Once he arrived, he made his way through the display galleries outside the main auction room. Here some of the most prized items were displayed.. customized Pets. Granted, these particular specimens were human enough. Inu Yasha had seen things that bared only a passing resemblance to humanity on the regular auction floor. The attractive individuals in the galleries were more practical. Endurance enhancement, programmable fertility cycle, and "specialized training" were just a few of the modifications that qualified a Pet for gallery display. 

But still, none of the wares captured his interest. At least, not enough to make him want to buy one. 

He entered the bidding arena during a heated auction for a fairly attractive male Pet. Inu Yasha quietly made his way down a few levels from the top, then took a seat behind one of the curving, elongated tables that ringed the auction floor. 

The boy being bid on was eventually sold, and another Pet soon took his place. Inu Yasha watched desultorily as one Pet after another was led to the auction block, their hands tied behind their back, each one of them with the same dead blankness in their eyes. 

Afternoon waned into evening, but the bidding continued on. Inu Yasha desperately wished he could stretch to relieve the tightness in his back and arms. Not to mention his ass was falling asleep. 

Another auction ended and the silverhair placed his palms on the table, ready to rise, when the next Pet was guided to the platform and the sight of her stopped Inu Yasha in mid-crouch. 

Her pure black hair hung almost to her waist, drawing attention to her well-rounded hips and rear. Her clothing, if it could even be called that, consisted of one piece of fabric cut to cover her nether regions like a pair of high-cut panties, then narrowed into a single band of cloth that rose vertically over her stomach before branching out once more into a band around her nipples, which were showing thanks to the purposeful draft around the platform. Inu Yasha never dreamed that the letter "I" could fit a human so well. 

But what held his attention longest was her face. It sucked the air right out of his lungs, making him feel as if someone had punched him directly in the gut. Another face, practically identical except for being a few years older, superimposed itself. 

"Ki.. Kikyou!" Inu Yasha gasped. 

But then, the illusion was broken as he looked at her deep brown eyes. Instead of that blank acceptance he had come to expect of Pets, a spark of defiance shone in their depths. She didn't want to be there. _Hated_ being there. 

Inu Yasha liked her right then and there. 

The bidding opened up, and he waited for someone to take the bait at the starting price of 5 million credits. 

No one spoke up. 

"Come, come now, ladies and gentlemen! This Pet has been trained since infancy to serve _you_! She's Grade A, the best you can get. Just look at this form! Perfect for breeding or entertainment.. or both!" 

Silence was the only response. 

Inu Yasha stared at his fellow bidders in shock. What were they, fucking morons? That was a great Pet down there, and no one even wanted her! He'd seen uglier, less well-developed, lower-ranked Pets sell for twice what was being asked for her. 

The auctioneer seemed at a loss, but the Pet stood as tall and proudly as ever. Her gazed swept the audience, daring someone to try and take her. 

"Five million. Five million credits! Don't let this fine specimen go to Ranaya Uugo!" 

A hint of fear crept into those chocolate eyes and Inu Yasha was shocked. What could she have done to be threatened with being tossed into that hellhole? 

Unless.. this wasn't the first time she'd been put on the auction block. 

With a look of sincere apology in the Pet's direction, the auctioneer made his final announcement. "Five million credits or Ranaya Uugo! Going once! Going twice!" 

"TEN MILLION CREDITS!" a rich tenor interrupted the countdown. 

The Pet's head snapped up, searching for the source of that sound. It didn't take long, as all the other bidders had turned to face the one who had shouted out. 

The Pet's heart leapt into her throat. It was a silverhair with gorgeous golden eyes.. and .. _dog ears_?! 

The auctioneer look relieved. "Ten million credits, I'm bid! Anyone else?" 

Silence. 

"Ten million credits going once.. going twice.. SOLD to the silverhair in red!" 

There was a smattering of polite applause, but that was it. The silverhair gave a triumphant grin, his small fangs showing. 

With a slight sinking feeling in her stomach, the Pet was led off the platform to make room for the next piece of human goods. 

She didn't know which was worse.. Ranaya Uugo.. or having a very weird silverhair for a master. 

A padded iron collar was fastened around her neck, the chain that had been soldered onto the front draping down between her breasts. She hated the collar with a passion. But she was a Pet after all, and Pets needed to be kept on a leash in public. 

Then she saw her new master heading her way. 

"She really is well-trained," the man who had put her up for auction enthused. "She started at the Academy when she was four. I don't know why no one else was bidding. I've put a lot of time and money into her…" 

Inu Yasha just let the man drone on. Ever since he had paid for his purchase, the man had attached himself to him, reassuring him over and over that he had just got himself a great deal. 

Then he saw her, standing as proudly as ever, despite the heavy collar around her neck. 

Damn. He'd forgotten about that. 

"_Humph_," the Pet thought as she saw her former owner kowtowing to her new one. "Must've paid for me in cash," she muttered. 

The auction handler grabbed the chain and yanked it roughly, nearly pulling her down flat on her face. "Quiet you!" 

"Hands off!" another voice growled. 

The hand disappeared from the chain, and she was able to straighten up again and look her new owner over from head to toe. 

He was a silverhair all right. Not only did he have a mane that reached almost to his knees, he had the attitude to go with it, standing there with his feet planted firmly on the ground and his arms crossed over his chest as he sized her up, just as she was doing to him. 

The former owner's prattling was starting to annoy Inu Yasha, so he curtly nodded his head and cut the man off mid-sentence. "Thank you for your time, but I have some business to attend to." 

The man blinked, but quickly recovered. "Of course, of course! Thank _you_!" 

The Pet saw her new master extend his hand to grasp the chain, the sight of his honed fingernails making a flock of butterflies pour into her stomach. Yet when he grasped the metal, he seemed disgusted by it, only barely closing his hand on the chain links to lead her away. She tried to catch a glimpse of the expression on his face, but he had already turned away. 

"Come," he commanded. 

She obeyed the order, knowing it would be useless to try and fight at this point. 

"_Ugh_." Inu Yasha thought to himself. "_I hate this custom.. dragging someone around on a leash. It's not right_." Then he realized that he was grimly striding along, forcing the Pet to almost break into a run to keep up. With a great force of will, he made himself calm down. 

It had been getting hard to breathe as the Pet had forced herself to match his strides with legs that were not accustomed to moving so fast. Then all of a sudden, the silverhair slowed down. _Why?_

The two continued on through the gallery, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. It wasn't until they were out of the building and in the blinding sun that either of them did anything but put one foot in front of the other. When they finally did, Inu Yasha raised a hand up to shade his eyes, while Kagome flinched backward, squinting. 

As soon as their vision cleared, Inu Yasha noticed that a doorman was holding the door of a taxi open, obviously waiting for the silverhair and his purchase to get inside. Inu Yasha gave a curt nod of thanks, then carefully dragged the Pet forward, motioning for her to go in before releasing the chain. 

The Pet gave him a look, but didn't argue as she got into the vehicle, sliding over to make room for her "master". 

Inu Yasha flipped a 500 credit coin in the doorman's direction before settling himself in beside his purchase. The door closed, and he ordered the driver to go to the Midas shopping district. 

Silence descended as the vehicle was put in motion. The Pet took a peek over at her new owner to find him staring blankly ahead, still off in his own world. 

"Ummmm…" she began. Her wrists and shoulders were aching from her hands being tied behind her back for so long. She only hoped he wouldn't kill her for her presumption. 

"What?" he demanded gruffly. 

The Pet merely turned to reveal her bound hands. 

Inu Yasha's eyes widened. "Damn. I thought they'd let you loose." He cracked his knuckles in a way that made the girl flinch as he bared his claw-like nails. 

And with one precise swipe, he severed the ropes. 

The Pet brought her hands around in front, shaking slightly at the thought of what else those claws could do as she tried to rub some feeling back into her wrists.. until his voice brought her back to the present. 

"Name?" 

"Huh?" 

Inu Yasha sighed. "What. Is. Your. Name?" he clarified slowly, as if speaking to a particularly dimwitted child. 

His tone made the Pet's temper flared up, and she met his gold eyes with her own hard brown ones. "Kagome," she replied, her single word almost sounding like a challenge. 

Inu Yasha raised an eyebrow. "Kagome, huh? Your measurements?" 

Kagome's cheeks flared red, biting back a furious retort. 

The silverhair saw the Pet's emotions warring with her training and decided maybe this wouldn't be so bad. "Look, I don't care if you tell me or not, but if you don't, you'll be stuck in _that_ until at least tomorrow!" he burst out, his composure slipping a notch. 

Kagome's eyes widened at the outburst. Too stunned to do anything else, she mechanically told him "38, 26, 36". 

Inu Yasha mentally whistled. So his eye had not been wrong. Her measurements were nearly perfect, and the area of imperfection.. he glanced at her breasts. Yeah. He could live with it. Definitely. 

Kagome forced down the urge to blush again as her owner's eyes assessed the contours of her body. She should be used to such scrutiny by now. In fact, she knew she was. So why was the warmth in those strange golden eyes enflaming her cheeks the way they were? 

Shortly afterward, the taxi came to a stop and Inu Yasha leaned forward to bark at the driver, "Leave the meter running. I'll be back very shortly. And don't even _think_ of leaving with my property, or you will be pursued and punished to the fullest extent of the law." He allowed his fangs to show. "Understand?" 

"Y.. yes, sir," the driver stammered. 

Without even another word to his Pet, Inu Yasha got out of the car and headed for the nearest clothing store. 

"_Geez that guy's confusing_," Kagome thought to herself. "_One moment he's leering at me, the next he's completely ignoring me! And why do I even care?_" Then she noticed the driver staring at her through the rear view mirror. Now this was more like what she was used to. Besides, she had better prepare herself for what was most likely to follow her new master's return. 

She shifted her legs demurely to the side and ran a finger up from her abdomen to her right breast. She lazily trailed it over the peak, making a circle around her nipple, causing it to stand out and strain against the fabric that confined it. She lifted her left hand to tweak the other nipple, feeling a wave of gratification as she heard the driver's breath catch. She leaned against the seat, arching her back and closing her eyes, her hips trusting forward in an imitation of ecstasy. She was a Grade-A Pet, after all. This was all part of her training. 

Just then, the cab door was wrenched open and Inu Yasha plopped back down in the seat, all but throwing the shopping bag in his hand at Kagome's face. Miraculously, it simply hit her in the chest, which made her wince anyway and put a damper on any hint of excitement she had been feeling. After a minute or two, she recovered enough to stare at the bag in her lap. 

"Well? Put 'em on, wench." 

Kagome's head snapped up and her eyes blazed into Inu Yasha's. "My name isn't "wench"! It's Kago…" 

"Don't make me call you worse, bitch! I'm your master now, and if I tell you to put on those damned clothes, you'd better fucking put them on!" 

Kagome blinked, then became very interested in the bag. "_Way to go.. make your life a living hell_," she thought to herself. "_Why can't I just keep my mouth shut?_" Halfheartedly, but with a touch of curiosity, she poked at the tissue paper before steeling herself to reach in and pull out her new outfit. 

A pink button-up blouse with white lace at the sleeves and a white collar with buttons of the same color running down the front, as well as a green miniskirt, were soon lying on the back seat of the car. Kagome gaped at the silverhair. She'd been expecting something a little more.. seductive? 

"What's your problem now?" Inu Yasha growled, seeing the look of uncertainty on his Pet's face. 

Kagome involuntarily flinched again. "No.. nothing," she stuttered and dutifully began to pull on the clothing, mindful not to button the chain of her collar into her blouse. It wasn't until she had wriggled into the skirt and was about to zip it up that she realized he had been watching the entire display out of the corner of his eye.. the way her breasts had bounced and her hips swiveled as she had struggled with the skirt. 

"Humph. Pervert," she sniffed as she pulled up the zipper. 

"Just like everybody else," he snapped and turned his attention back out the window. 

Kagome gazed at her new master in surprise. "_How could he have heard me from all the way over there?_" she wondered. The Pet kept staring at him, expectantly now. But he didn't move, his eyes glued to the scenes passing by outside the window. After several minutes of tense silence, he finally barked out: 

"Stop staring at me like that. Look out the window.. look at the driver, I don't care! Just quit it!" 

The Pet's eyes widened, but she did as she was told, murmuring "Sorry," as she turned her attention to the multitude of cars and people passing by. 

"_Any other master would have me naked and writhing beneath him by now_," she mused to herself. "_Why isn't he claiming me? He did buy me, after all. Maybe.. just maybe.. somehow he's different…_" 

She could already feel a headache coming on. What had she gotten into? 

Meanwhile, a certain silverhair was wondering the exact same thing. 

**To be continued...**

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**Author's Note:** whew I originally started writing this for the first "Iridescent Dreams" Round Robin contest, but then the AU rule was clarified (oh darn!). Since I'd already started and had a complete outline, I figured I would finish the story anyway  
(still working on that part! But I do know this is going to be 10 chapters long.). 

Also, about the story.. the setting I'm using is from the novel "Ai no Kusabi". Yes, the storyline in the novel is yaoi. But the world itself is so fascinating, I just _had_ to set my story there! And it fits so well! If anybody's confused, just let me know, and I'll work on making clearer descriptions!


	2. The Inspection

**Tiny "Ai no Kusabi" term explanation:** In the original "Ai no Kusabi" novel, Furniture are like harem guards. Basically they take care of the Pets. Their function is literally to be "useful" and "decorative". Normally they are mongrels by birth, but becoming Furniture elevates their status. In the novel, a requirement of becoming Furniture is castration. But I modified that a bit, Shippo being as young as he is. The castration would be so the Furniture wouldn't be doing things they shouldn't with the Pets, and since Shippo's too young to do that kind of thing anyway... ;;; 

Now, on with the show! 

**Rating:** R - For sexual situations and Inu Yasha's fondness for swear words. 

Just as a note.. the main sexual situation in this chapter isn't exactly WAFFy, so if you're looking for warm fuzzies.. well.. I'm not to that part yet. - 

**This chapter has been edited**, in case some zealous reporters stumble across this story and want to have it deleted for being "too explicit". It's now safely, firmly in "R-land" (Heck, I consider it PG-13 because I even cut out gasp nudity). Of course, that doesn't mean they won't ding me for grammar or something. :p

To read the unedited version (which I highly recommend if you're of age and don't mind explicit material, since that is my original vision, and I'm very proud of it), please search for it on mediaminer, at Iridescent Dreams, or my own website: inuyasha dot ficbit dot org. Replace those "dot"s with "." 

By going to the version of this story on the sites mentioned above, you verify that you are of legal age for your country. I have no control where you go to read the story, and wash my hands of it. 

**Pairing:** Ultimately, IY/Kag. With hints of Sess/Kag and Kik/IY along the way. 

**Disclaimer:** Inu Yasha, Kagome, Sesshoumaru, Shippo, and Kikyou do not belong to me.. they are the creations of Takahashi Rumiko. Amoi, Tanagura.. in fact, the whole setting.. belong to Yoshihara Rieko. The actual story and lemony goodness, though, was written by me. But unfortunately, I don't work for Harlequin, so I'm not getting paid for this, so please don't sue me (because reviews are only considered riches to writers, not lawyers). 

**Ai no Koinu**

**By Elora**

Chapter 2

Bed. Soft. Comfy. Sleepy. Were the only thoughts going through Kagome's head as warm morning sun kissed her face. But that was not what had woken her up. As she struggled to bring herself back to full consciousness, she became more fully aware of the bed shaking and a high-pitched voice crying out, "Kagome-sama! Kagome-sama! Wake up, Kagome-sama!" 

Kagome blinked the last of the sleepy haze from her eyes and pushed herself into a sitting position to see a small redhair bouncing up and down on the mattress, wearing the lavender jumpsuit that was the typical uniform of Furniture. 

Then the previous evening came back to her in a rush. 

After the interlude in the taxi, Inu Yasha dragged her inside a tall building, one of the most prominent apartment buildings in Tanagura. Her eyes went wide and her jaw ached with the effort of keeping it from gaping open at the well-known building in front of her. 

_He_ lived in a place like _this_? 

Inu Yasha watched her for a full minute before growing impatient and turning back to her, taking up the leash and forcing her to follow with an abrupt, "Come on." 

Kagome stumbled, but she quickly regained her balance and let him lead her inside. 

The main foyer was just as impressive as the outside of the building had promised, the vaulted ceiling rising several stories above her head. She looked up to gawk, somehow trusting the strange silverhair not to lead her into anyone. She had heard about the homes of the rich, but she had never dreamed they'd be anything like this! 

She was led to an elevator, oblivious to the stares and whispers that followed in her wake. 

Inu Yasha tapped his foot impatiently, eager to escape the susurration of voices that his sensitive ears were picking up as strangers weighed and judged his choice of Pet. 

At least now he had one. 

He was relieved when the doors finally slid open to admit him into the privacy of the compartment. He carefully led his Pet forward until they were both safely inside. As soon as the doors closed and his retinal scan was taken, he dropped the leash and turned toward the female who gazed at him with curious eyes. 

"You are my first and only Pet, so there won't be anybody around to keep you from being bored. My Furniture is still just a kid. I wasn't planning on getting a Pet for a while yet," he offered as an explanation. "But he is reliable and should be able to look after you." 

Kagome looked as though she had just sucked on a lemon. What was with the high and mighty act, anyway? He was treating her a lot more formally than he had in the car. Was he afraid of being watched? 

She was just about to ask when a chime sounded, signaling Inu Yasha to take her leash in hand again just as the doors opened. 

He needn't have worried. No one was there.At least, until Inu Yasha keyed in the access code to the door at the opposite end of the short hallway. As soon as the panel slid to the side... 

"Welcome back, Inu Yasha-sama!" a young voice chirped. A small redhair, apparently little more than a child, bounded into the main room of Inu Yasha's suite and made a bow. When the Furniture straightened, his eyes immediately fell on the Pet. "You got one?" 

"Yeah, Shippo. Now maybe Sesshoumaru will shut up for a week or two." Inu Yasha flicked a glance toward the front door, which was now closed again. 

"_Sesshoumaru? Who's that_?" Kagome wondered. But she didn't get a chance to dwell on it before Inu Yasha reached up, fitted a key into the lock of her collar, and freed her in one swift motion. The girl stretched, loosening the abused muscles in her neck and shoulders. She was so happy to finally have that stupid thing off! 

The sound of her Master's voice brought her back to the present. 

"Kagome, this is Shippo. Shippo, Kagome." 

The Furniture bowed. "Pleased to meet you, Kagome-sama!" 

Kagome couldn't help but smile. "Nice to meet you, too, Shippo." 

Inu Yasha snorted, drawing the Pet's attention back to him. "You're free for the rest of the night. Let Shippo show you around. If you need anything, tell him. I've got stuff to do." 

Kagome nodded and Shippo grabbed her hand, nearly dragging her in his eagerness to finally do his job. 

"Keh." 

After an evening consisting of a whirlwind tour, a luxurious bubble bath complete with grooming session, and being tucked into bed wearing a clean silk nightgown ("Knew he'd forget. Hope it's not too small," Shippo had told her as he presented it to her.), she had fallen right to sleep. 

To wake up to this. 

"What is it, Shippo?" she asked. 

"You've gotta hurry and get dressed! Boy am I glad I had your clothes cleaned last night!" 

"But why?" 

Shippo couldn't stop bouncing, but it wasn't a happy movement.. more like he was really, really nervous. "Sesshoumaru-sama wants to inspect you." 

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" 

"My pain-in-the-stuck-up-ass big brother," a familiar voice replied. Kagome stopped looking at Shippo to raise shocked eyes to Inu Yasha, who leaned carelessly on the doorframe. 

"AH! HENTAI!!" the Pet cried, and without thinking, grabbed her pillow and flung it at his face. 

The silverhair neatly sidestepped and the soft missile landed harmlessly on the floor with an airy plop. 

"Moron. I saw you in less than that yesterday," he smirked. 

"Don't you know how to knock?" Kagome asked, a light pink flush spreading over her cheeks. 

"No. But we've gotta hurry. Sesshoumaru has a real thing about people being late," he rolled his eyes and gave a long-suffering sigh. 

"So let me get dressed!" 

"Go ahead!" he challenged. 

Kagome fought down a wave of fury. How _dare_ he? 

Then she remembered.. he was her Master. He acted so unlike anyone else she'd been presented to, she kept forgetting that he technically owned her.. and she had to obey him. 

With a sigh, she threw the covers back, nearly knocking Shippo off the bed and swung her legs to the ground. She saw her Pet outfit laid neatly across the back of a chair and was about to go get it when she had a perfectly wicked idea. If he was going to make her change in front of him, she really should give him a show. It was her job, after all. 

Carefully locking herself into Pet mode, she lifted up her arms and started to work the nightgown off over her head. 

As soon as Inu Yasha realized what she was doing, he abruptly turned his back on her. "Wh.. what did you do _that_ for?" he blustered, his face nearly as red as his outfit. 

"You told me to change!" the Pet called back. 

"I didn't you know you weren't wearing anything under that!" 

"Well it's not like I've had a chance to go shopping for lingerie or anything!" 

Inu Yasha made a mental note. Give Shippo a catalog. Have his Pet pick out underwear. Yeah. And more clothes. 

Damn this Pet thing was giving him a headache! 

"Ready!" Kagome's voice broke into Inu Yasha's train of thought, making him jump a bit. He turned back around to see her dressed once more, but his mind could not resist filling in the dots. 

No wonder the outfit was beige. White would have made the black show through… 

"I thought you said we had to hurry?" Kagome prodded, noting the way he seemed fascinated by her clothing. Or more specifically, what was under it. 

"Oh, yeah. Right." Inu Yasha fought another blush. "Come on, let's go," and he motioned for her to follow. 

As soon as the two were out of hearing range, Shippo started to giggle. "_Oh, I'm so glad I became Furniture! This is gonna be great!_" 

As the elevator chimed and opened its doors, Kagome could have sworn she felt a chill run down her spine. She gritted her teeth to keep them from chattering as she meekly followed Inu Yasha out into Sesshoumaru's rooms. As she glanced around, she noted that white was the predominant color in the room with some touches of red. She didn't like the feel of the place at all. 

"Sesshoumaru! I know you're here!" Inu Yasha called out, his temper being rapidly shortened as he sensed his Pet's nervousness and heard her teeth gnash together. 

"Come into my den, Inu Yasha. And bring your purchase with you," a rich baritone commanded from somewhere in the apartment. 

What Sesshoumaru had referred to has his "den" looked more like the office of a Blondie, very sparsely furnished with only the desk and a few chairs. Anything paper was stored in shelves set against the pristine white walls, neat and organized. The ceiling was an extra story higher with a skylight that let sunshine filter in, creating a patterned spotlight on the floor. Behind his desk, Sesshoumaru waited, part of the skyline of Tanagura behind him. 

Kagome gaped as Sesshoumaru rose. He was dressed in the plain black jumpsuit of the style most citizens of Tanagura wore, but over it he sported an open over-robe of white material with light red flower patterns at the shoulders, at the end of his long, flowing sleeves, and near the hem of the covering, that was tied at his waist with a sash of purple and yellow. His shoulder pads were spiked, almost as if they could be used as weapons. Finally, his footwear consisted of white boots with red trim at the tops, and a line of the same color running down the outside. But what intrigued her most was the fluffy cream-colored boa he wore wrapped around his left shoulder. 

He was every inch what she had come to expect of silverhairs. 

"Is that the Pet?" Sesshoumaru inquired, looking past Inu Yasha to Kagome. 

"Yeah," Inu Yasha grunted. 

Sesshoumaru came out from behind his desk and walked toward them, his innate grace making Kagome feel that familiar lump of lead in her stomach that she got every time she was confronted with someone from proper society. 

But somehow, Inu Yasha never made her feel that way. 

The older silverhair just kept walking, forcing his younger brother to either step aside or be flattened. Inu Yasha moved out of the way just in time, obviously fighting back the impulse to growl warningly. 

"You really should keep a tighter reign on those animal emotions of yours, Inu Yasha. They may cause you grief someday," Sesshoumaru condescendingly rebuked. 

Inu Yasha did not dare respond, not with Kagome standing so close to Sesshoumaru. 

And why did that make a fucking difference, anyway? 

Sesshoumaru extended a hand and caught her chin, his thumb on one side, his four remaining fingers on the other. He turned her head to the side, then the other way. A spark of intense dislike entered her eyes before she could quell it, and the silverhair caught it. 

"Rather attractive features.. except for the eyes. Those are a decent, if ordinary, shade. It is the expression that needs work," Sesshoumaru commented. "Open your mouth." 

This last part she was used to, and she knew what would immediately follow. Those who visited the Academy to get the newest arrivals had put her through this test before. Her eyes went blank as she locked herself away into the little box that kept her sane and obediently opened her mouth. 

Sesshoumaru watched as the life drained from the Pet's eyes. "So, she has been well trained after all," he remarked. 

Inu Yasha's hands opened and closed almost convulsively. What he wouldn't give to put his hands around Sesshoumaru's neck and squeeze until there was no air left in the jerk's body! He had no idea where the situation was going to go, but he knew that if he interfered, his brother would have no qualms about carrying out the earlier threat of "reconditioning" him. 

And the thought of losing not only Kagome's soul, but his own as well, scared the hell out of him. 

"Strong, white teeth. Good. No indentation on the tongue, indicative that she is open to pleasure rather than biting her tongue to quell the sensation. Close your mouth," the last, he directed to the Pet. 

Kagome closed her mouth. 

"Unblemished skin. Fair, yet able to blush," He ran a taloned hand through her hair. "Decent. A bit coarser than perfection, but adequate enough." Then he lowered his hand down her back, between her shoulder blades, to work on the fastenings of her clothing. 

Inu Yasha caught his brother's wrist, glaring at the older man with murder in his eyes. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Sesshoumaru?" he ground out. 

Sesshoumaru regarded his brother as if looking at a particularly annoying fly, his composure as cool as ever. "Such language is unbecoming. I am inspecting her, as _you_ should have done when you bought her. She is used to this. All Pets are checked this way." 

Inu Yasha's fingers loosened in shock, and Sesshoumaru flicked his wrist away, undoing the last fastener at the same time. 

As the cloth fell away, Inu Yasha had to turn away. He could not bear to watch as his brother continued to touch her, even in the most intimate of places, commenting on her good and bad points as if she weren't even human. A _thing_. 

Following the final part of the inspection, Sesshoumaru took out a handkerchief and dried his fingers on it. 

"No diseases of any sort. Has not even been taken by a male. Someone thought very highly of her.. or had an eye to profits.. if they chose to have her hymen removed by a dildo rather than wasting her first full experience. 'Toy broken' Pets bring a much better price than naturally penetrated ones," Sesshoumaru mused. Finally, his cold, yet slightly amused, eyes focused on his brother once more. "I would say, Inu Yasha, that you found quite a bargain. Based on my findings, most appraisers would value her at 120 million credits." 

"Well whoop-de-do. I saved you money," Inu Yasha bit out, feeling frustrated beyond belief, and utterly bleak at his inability to do anything to stop what had just happened. He couldn't bring himself to look at either his brother, or the Pet he felt he had just betrayed. 

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No, the twenty million credits was granted to you for use on a Pet. Buy her something nice with the remaining money. If she wasn't registered to you, I would make her one of my own." 

Inu Yasha turned to face his brother, eyes blazing. "I'll _never_ let you touch her again, you asshole!" he growled, going over and getting Kagome's clothing from the chair. He thrust the garment into her hands and barked, "Put it on." 

She obeyed. 

Tension was thick in the air, but Sesshoumaru ignored it, watching the Pet dress instead. It was all Inu Yasha could do to keep his temper in check as his brother spoke once more. "Jealousy is a dangerous emotion, Inu Yasha. Remember, she is a Pet. She will couple with many males in her lifetime. She is a thing, a toy. Becoming emotionally attached will only serve to ruin the both of you." 

"Shut the hell up, Sesshoumaru!" 

"I am merely giving you some brotherly advice…" 

"Well stuff it back down where it came from! I can take care of myself!" At that moment, Kagome finished dressing. Inu Yasha grabbed her arm and dragged her over to the elevator. "Remember what I said, Sesshoumaru! I meant it!" and he bared his fangs before getting into the compartment and shutting Kagome and himself inside it. 

"Still just a pup," Sesshoumaru mused to himself as he calmly went back behind his desk to work on that day's business reports. 

**To be continued...**

**Author's Note:** First and foremost, I really want to apologize for the lateness of this chapter! Job hunting, school, and socializing has been taking up my time.. and I had a horrible writer's block in the middle of Chapter 3. But it's going smoothly now! 

Originally, this chapter was going to be this long, then I added a scene, then I decided it worked better at the beginning of Chapter 3. So don't despair! The next Chapter will be nearly twice as long, so hopefully that will help make up for the shortness this time. 


	3. The Same, Yet Different

My, oh my.. it seems Chapter 2 stirred up some pretty strong feelings in my reviewers! I would say "sorry", but well.. it's the way the story went. I did warn you guys. points to Pairings disclaimer It's necessary to the plot, trust me! 

Anywho, there is one big question reviewers seemed to have that I couldn't smoothly explain in more detail in the body of Chapter 2. 

**Why did Inu-chan just stand by?** - Sesshoumaru's threat of brainwashing him was still fresh in his mind. He knows that going against Sesshoumaru so openly would lead him directly to a nice "brain buzz", and he doesn't want to forget who he is. Basically, if he goes against Sesshoumaru, he loses his life, in a sense. Also, the way that he was brought up that Pets are property was warring with his innate sense that Pets are also people, but he isn't secure enough in himself to go directly against the mandates of society. Yet. Bend them, yes. Break them, no. Hope that helps explain things for you Cataluna and Xavien. 

Oh.. one more thing.. I WOULD promise, Calendar-sama.. but.. I can't. 

Good things will come, I promise! Unfortunately, there must be rain before the flowers. But I promise the reward for sticking with me will (at least, I hope) be great. 

**This is an edited version!** In an effort to maybe fend off some zealous reporters here on , I've edited this chapter to an "R" level. For how to find the unedited version, refer to Chapter 2. Again, I'm not responsible for what happens if someone goes searching.

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**Rating:** R - For sexual situations and Inu Yasha's fondness for swear words. 

**Pairing:** Ultimately, IY/Kag. With hints of Sess/Kag and Kik/IY along the way. 

**Disclaimer:** Inu Yasha, Kagome, Sesshoumaru, Shippo, and Kikyou do not belong to me.. they are the creations of Takahashi Rumiko. The planet of Amoi and Tanagura itself (both the city and society) are not mine.. they are from the novel "Ai no Kusabi" by Yoshihara Rieko. I know, I'm so unoriginal. ;; But please don't sue me. I'm cute and.. okay.. perverted, but that's not the point! All I own are my notebooks, a bunch of fansubs, and my Viz DVDs! Honest!

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**Ai no Koinu **

By Elora 

Chapter 3

It took Inu Yasha a few moments to notice the rumbling in his chest that indicated he was growling in the privacy of the elevator. DAMN Sesshoumaru! The bastard actually _enjoyed_ taking the light out of a Pet's eyes, breaking them until they lost any will to truly live… 

He looked at Kagome out of the corner of his eye and immediately became even more worried. The dead, glazed look was still in her eyes and she hadn't said a word since they left the office. 

"Hey Kagome." 

No response. 

Inu Yasha waved a hand in front of her face. "Helloooooooooooooo!" 

She didn't even blink. 

Just then, the elevator stopped and Inu Yasha was forced to guide his Pet into the apartment. 

"Welcome.. home?" Shippo was stopped mid-outburst by the emptiness in Kagome's eyes. He turned frantic. "What happened to Kagome-sama?" 

"Sesshoumaru insisted on 'inspecting' her," he spat out the vile word as if it were poison. 

Shippo's eyes widened. "He didn't…" 

"He did," Inu Yasha bit out. "Now are you going to help get her to the couch, or do I have to fire you for not doing your job?" 

That snapped the Furniture out of his shock, and between the two of them, they got the Pet safely to one of the couches. Kagome sank down on the cushions obediently. 

Inu Yasha very much wanted to worry at his lower lip with his teeth, but he did not dare show such open emotion. Shippo, though, had no such reservations as he literally jumped onto the Pet's lap and threw his arms around her waist. "Kagome-sama! Snap out of it, Kagome-sama!" he wailed. 

"Sh.. Shippo-chan," she replied in a monotone. 

Which made the Furniture cry even harder. 

_Very good. That's much better. You have come to realize that you cannot save her now. You doomed her the moment you took her in your arms._

Words from long ago echoed in the silverhair's mind. Those brown, expressionless eyes, devoid of all signs of life struck a chord that greatly unnerved him. 

The last time he had tried to bring the light back into a pair of eyes like that, it had only made things worse. But this Pet was _his_. And he'd be damned if he let another girl like her die. 

Besides, Shippo's wailing was giving him a headache. 

Inu Yasha reached out one well-manicured hand and cupped Kagome's chin, his fingers resting lightly on either side of her jawbone as he drew her head to the side to face him. She stared blankly ahead, still locked away from reality. 

Shippo stopped crying as he saw his master move, then lean in. 

Slowly, hesitantly, Inu Yasha drew closer to Kagome until their faces were just centimeters apart. 

Then the silverhair closed his eyes, trying to keep his touch businesslike. However, his pulse was racing and his breath caught in his throat as he blushed, contemplating what he was about to do. He shouldn't.. it wasn't right… 

But his body had disconnected itself from his brain and closed the distance, his lips pressing warmly and firmly against his Pet's. 

As if waking up from a deep sleep, Kagome's mind slowly started to function again. The first thing she was aware of was a desire to keep her eyes closed. But then she realized that her impulse wasn't because she was sleepy, but because there was something pressing against her lips. No one had told her to kiss anybody! Her eyes flew open and she found herself staring at someone's closed eyelids, their face flush up against hers. 

She blinked once. Twice. Then her hand came up. 

SLAP! 

Inu Yasha flinched backwards, opening his eyes and nursing his stinging, bright red cheek. 

"What the hell are you doing?! Get away from me!" Kagome raged, eyes blazing. 

For a moment, the silverhair looked hurt, but he quickly regained his composure enough to cover his surprise with a smirk. "Nice to see you back to normal." 

The Pet let out something close to a growl before crossing her arms and tossing her head. 

After less than a minute, her self-righteous pose started to melt as she woke up the rest of the way and the realization hit her. 

That hadn't been just some wayward Pet! She had just slapped her Master! 

The part of her that had been trained as a Pet quailed in horror, waiting for her punishment to be handed down. Most owners, she knew, would not hesitate to discard her after this. Yet the part of her that was her blood, her ancestry, was making her feel strangely satisfied. The smug jerk deserved it! 

Cautiously, she peeked out of the corner of her eye. His smirk had widened to almost a grin. "_What the...?_" 

"You almost had me worried there, bitch," he told her. "Taking orders without any kind of backtalk! Keh! If I wanted something spineless, I would've bought a worm!" He kept the haughtiness in his eyes, but deep inside, he was nervous about letting so much information about his preferences slip out. Yet somehow he felt the admission a small price to pay in exchange for Kagome's spirit. 

"You.. you actually _like_ me like this?" Kagome stuttered in disbelief. 

Inu Yasha snorted. "When I have to take you to a social function, as I'm sure my brother will make me do, you'll need to go back into Pet mode. But here in private.. do as you like." 

The Pet bowed her head, hiding her eyes behind her bangs. "Thank you," she murmured. 

Then silence descended. Inu Yasha was at a loss as to how to respond to such unadorned sentiment. 

But Shippo helped him with that. 

From his standing position on her lap, the Furniture could still see his charge's face. So he was the first one to see the tears roll down her cheeks and plop onto her chest. 

"Kagome-sama.. you're crying." 

That did it. 

"Oh great. If I'd known that'd make you go all weepy on me, I wouldn't have been so nice!" 

The Pet did not respond, lost in her own thoughts. 

But the silverhair could see her shoulders twitching 

"Shippo," Inu Yasha barked, "when she's done getting my couch all soggy, take her back to her room. I'll be in mine. And don't bug me unless you want to get flattened." 

Shippo's eyes were as wide as saucers. Inu Yasha was REALLY scary when he said stuff like that. "Y.. yes, sir!" he all but squeaked. 

With that, the silverhair turned on his heel and stomped out of the room, his footsteps audible until they were punctuated by the pounding of his fist on the wall as he released the locking system on his bedroom door. 

For a few minutes, the only sound in the vast main room was Kagome's sniffling. After a while, she finally wiped the tears from her eyes and met Shippo's worried gaze, forcing a smile as she did so. "Sorry about that, Shippo-chan." 

"It's okay, Kagome-sama!" the Furniture reassured her. "But.. why were you crying?" 

Kagome bit her lower lip for a second before deciding to confide in the servant. "At first it was because I was so relieved that he wasn't going to get rid of me. But then, after his rude comments about my crying, it was because I'm confused," She fought down another wave of tears. "What is he really like? One moment he's being an ass, then he's being nice.. it's tearing me apart." 

Wisdom beyond his apparent years shone in Shippo's eyes. "That's just the way he is, Kagome-sama." 

"What do you mean?" 

Shippo looked around her arm, gazing at where Inu Yasha had disappeared down the hall. "He really has a good heart; he just has to keep it secret. If anyone else in Tanagura knew, they'd only see it as a weakness, and try and destroy him. It's bad enough that Sesshoumaru-sama knows!" 

Kagome nodded. "I see…" 

"In fact," he turned his full attention to her and gave her a mischievous smile, "don't tell him I told you this, but he hates seeing girls cry. That's why he left!" 

Kagome was stunned. She didn't know anyone could survive in Tanagura with a purely honest heart. Her Master must have been forging the armor around it from the day he was born. 

And yet, it seemed to dislike being contained. 

"Thanks, Shippo. I feel better now," she said, giving him an honest smile. 

"Good!" the Furniture replied, nodding in satisfaction. "Now, I know the perfect thing to cheer you up! The catalogs I ordered for you came in today! Let's go to your room and shop!" 

Kagome couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Shippo's enthusiasm. "Okay," she agreed, and the boy hopped off her lap to lead the way. 

Besides, maybe she'd think of some way to subtly thank her Master for his kindness while she was looking at the catalogs. She'd have to ask Shippo what Inu Yasha's favorite color was… 

Inu Yasha stomped into his room, whipping his hair to the side as soon as the door was closed and reaching for the zipper of his jumpsuit. He pulled it down partway, then expertly brought his arm around the other way so he could grasp the bit of metal again and pull it the rest of the way down. After that, he went over and sat on his bed, letting the cool air of the room play over his back as he pulled off his boots. Once the footwear was safely deposited at the end of his bed, he peeled the jumpsuit off his shoulders and arms, pausing only for a moment before standing up and ridding himself of the outfit entirely. Feeling much more comfortable, he went back over to his bed and slipped under the covers, pulling them up to his chin with an irritated jerk. 

"Stupid wench," he muttered, trying to force his mind away from the image of his Pet's lowered head and shaking shoulders. It was nearly an hour before he could calm himself down enough to let the land of dreams embrace him and take him away from that unfamiliar twinge he was feeling deep in his heart, even if for only a few hours. 

**One Year Ago:**

"Damn it all to hell!" Inu Yasha burst out, doing his best to fight the urge to shred his pillow just to have the satisfaction of taking his frustration out on something. 

The second moon had already risen, and he was still wide-awake. 

Of course, the fact that his first major business meeting was scheduled first thing in the morning couldn't possibly have _anything_ to do with that! 

He ground his teeth and plopped face-down onto the pillow, nearly smothering himself. Of course, if he did choke to death, he wouldn't have to face his brother and the men on the Board of Trustees of the company his family ran. It was starting to look like a tempting alternative… 

When there was a knock on his bedroom door. 

Inu Yasha gave vent to a huge sigh before calling out, "Shippo.. I'm trying to get some fucking sleep here! I'll take care of it in the morning!" and he re-buried his head. 

The knock came again, more tentative this time, followed by a voice. "Forgive my intrusion, Inu Yasha-sama. However, Sesshoumaru-sama commanded me to come here." 

That voice. Inu Yasha had never heard it before. It was sweet and relatively high-pitched.. definitely female. Sesshoumaru had to be up to something, but he was too weary to try and figure it out. He threw off the covers and drew on a pair of loose pants before striding to the door and keying in the "unlock" sequence. 

As the door slid to the side, he could see his visitor clearly. She was a few inches shorter than him, with deep black hair that hung past her waist. She was clothed in even less than he was.. just a simple elasticized band around her chest, and another one that barely reached from her waist past the round curve of her hips and buttocks. 

A Pet. Great. Just wonderful. What _was_ Sesshoumaru playing at, anyway? 

"So what do you want? Or should I say.. what does my brother want?" 

Keeping her head down demurely as she had been taught to do, she folded her hands in front of her and bowed, a bag of netted cloth dangling from her wrist as she did so. "He merely sent me to you for the night. To do with as you please." 

Inu Yasha crinkled his nose in disgust. "Then take yourself right back up to Sesshoumaru's. I'm not interested," he informed her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get some sleep." With that, he turned away from her and went back to bed, taking care to leave his pants on. Hopefully she would take the hint and leave. 

He pulled the covers up over his body and settled in to at least make an attempt to sleep. 

All was peaceful for maybe five minutes before his mattress sank, as if an extra weight had been added. He felt the intruder hesitate, then slide up against his back. 

Maybe she'd get a clue if he kept ignoring her. 

Unfortunately, that strategy fell to pieces when the Pet snuggled up against him, the curves of her breasts pillowing his spine and her pelvis all but grinding against his rear end. An arm went around his waist and a low voice murmured in his ear. "Please.. Inu Yasha-sama," she moaned. 

"Damn it, woman, I'm trying to sleep!" he barked, rolling forward and away from her, placing one foot on the floor as he leapt out of bed. He stayed close, though, his eyes taking in the barely-dressed Pet with a look of indescribable sadness in her eyes. 

Argh. He _hated_ it when women looked at him like that! 

"Look," he began, crossing his arms over his bare chest. Maybe if he spoke more like his brother, she would actually listen to him. "I don't know what Sesshoumaru has up his sleeve, but I have a _very_ important matter to attend to in the morning, so I need my rest. Kindly leave here NOW!" 

The Pet raised herself up onto her knees, sitting back and staring at him with eyes that threatened to spill tears. 

"O.. oi…" 

"If.. if I go back without having fulfilled.. my duty.. Sesshoumaru-sama will.." she looked away and hiccupped, obviously trying to hide her tears. 

Oh great. Just fucking wonderful. That damned brother of his knew exactly how to pull his strings.. all he had to do was prey on the younger man's sense of pity. With a deep sigh born of resigning himself to the inevitable, he asked, "And what is your duty?" 

The Pet on his bed faced him with limpid eyes. "I know of your meeting tomorrow, Inu Yasha-sama, for that is the reason I am here. Your family's business associates are worried about you, and I was sent to alleviate their fears." 

"And what are they so worried about?" Inu Yasha asked, his voice laced with skepticism. 

"Inu Yasha-sama owns no Pets. Therefore they are uncertain if you are.. functioning correctly." 

The silverhair's face turned red, but not from embarrassment. "You mean those jackasses think that just because I don't fuck anything with a hole I'm flawed?! Everything works fine, thank-you-very-much!" 

The Pet flinched, shrinking away in the face of Inu Yasha's tirade. "Inu Yasha-sama…" 

For the first time, a new emotion crept into her eyes.. fear. 

Fear of him. 

Inu Yasha took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He hadn't meant to take it out on her, but she was the only person in close proximity. When he was finally more in control of his emotions, he asked, "What's your name?" 

The Pet seemed startled. "Ki.. Kikyou." 

"Kikyou, huh? Well then, Kikyou, how were you going to get this proof you said you need?" 

Both her eyes and face went blank as she automatically recited her orders. "My explicit instructions are to pleasure you and put the results in this container." She reached around and off to the side toward his nightstand, her hand closing around something, bringing it in front of her. 

A medical specimen cup with a screw-on lid. 

"Damn perverts," Inu Yasha muttered. Then he raised his voice, "and if you don't come back with it, you'll be punished?" 

"Ye.. yes, sir." 

"Well, that's easily enough solved," the silverhair smiled a bit in relief. "Just give it to me and…" 

"Forgive me, Inu Yasha-sama," the Pet interrupted, "but they will be checking for my bodily fluids as well.. as proof that you can function with someone other than yourself." 

If he wasn't a silverhair, Inu Yasha would have spat. "Damn it all anyway," he grumbled. His heart began to beat nervously, and he could feel the blood starting to rush to his groin in instinctive anticipation. "_I'm not a fucking Pet_," he thought viciously. But if he did not allow the Pet to complete her task, he would be the cause of any pain they inflicted on her. "Fine then," he told her, a light blush of color on his cheeks. "What do I have to do?" 

With the barest of smiles, a trained parting of the lips, Kikyou patted the bed next to her "Just take off your clothing, lie down here next to me, and leave everything else in my hands." 

She looked like she had said the same thing a million times, her expression welcoming, but her deep brown eyes showed not even a hint of light. 

Nevertheless, Inu Yasha followed her instructions, stripping off his pants and carefully climbing back onto the bed. 

Apparently, the board members had been satisfied, since he didn't hear anything about it afterward, and the eyes that had rested on him during the meeting were more relieved than truly interested in what he was saying. 

That should have signaled a return to the normal, peaceful life he usually led, but such was not to be. When he wasn't forced to keep his mind busy with work, it tended to fill itself with images of the raven-haired Pet that had come to him for such a brief time. 

To be honest, he had never really had a chance to talk to a Pet, but what he had seen scared him. It wasn't the blatant sexuality or technique that unnerved him.. it was the blasé way in which the Pets handled their work. It went above and beyond the strict concentration most jobs required. 

It was as if their very souls had been sucked out. 

The more Inu Yasha observed, the more he became aware of the differences between the Pets and regular servants. The servants, at least, had a modicum of freedom during their off hours. But the Pets were given orders during all hours of the day, and they did whatever was asked of them, no matter how cruel or degrading the task might be. It was sickening! 

Yet they didn't even seem to care. 

Of course, it didn't help that after that evening, it was almost as if Kikyou was being thrown in his path at every opportunity.. parties, meetings, everywhere! But each time they met, she looked right through him as if he weren't there. 

So he decided to turn the tables on her, purposely learning her schedule so he could keep up with her, see how her days were spent. 

Never once did he see her smile, aside from the conditioned lifting of the corners of her mouth when it was socially expected. 

It almost became an obsession with him. Was there something, _anything_, that would awaken her from her stupor? He had to find out! 

Finally, Inu Yasha discovered that the only time Kikyou tended to be alone was for roughly a half an hour after lunch when she'd sit in the middle of one of the pleasure gardens deep inside the harem and simply stare into space, almost as if she were contemplating something. 

That would be the best time to corner her. 

The pockets of Sesshoumaru's Furniture were already well fleshed out with credits thanks to his "generosity"; it seemed the servants were very susceptible to bribes. He supposed that was what happened when a male lost one of their most prized body parts, that individual would indulge in whatever other luxuries still available. Hence, money apparently spoke when dealing with most Furniture. 

Besides, they also seemed to be damned amused about the whole thing, judging by the snickers and winks he got when he entered the harem. 

Just as he had expected, Kikyou was sitting on the lip of a fountain, the water cascading behind her in graceful arcs. The scent of flowers perfumed the air, and the artificial light that was calibrated to act as the sun shone down. The whole scene spoke of tranquility.. but none of it was real. 

Inu Yasha made his way along the path to the center of the garden, his eyes fixed on the Pet's serene expression and the dark hair that flowed down her back in direct contrast to the rest of the setting. She didn't even sense him as he came within a few feet of her. Finally, he sat down on the edge of the fountain within talking distance. 

"Kikyou." 

The girl started, almost falling backward into the pond. But before the silverhair could so much as extend a helping hand, she gripped the edge of her perch and got herself under control. Wide, fear-filled eyes stared at him. "Inu.. Yasha-sama," she gasped. 

"Calm down, would you? I'm not going to eat you or anything," he grumped, looking away from her. 

A blush spread over her cheeks as she gazed at him in shock. Then the reality of the situation crashed down on her. "You shouldn't be here! Go! Before the guards catch you!" the Pet urgently begged him. 

"They know I'm here." 

"WHAT?!?" 

"I paid them off, okay?" Inu Yasha glared at Kikyou. "And I did it because I just want to talk to you. You're the only Pet I know." 

"You _don't_ know me! And I don't know you, so get out of here!" she cried, sounding caught between anger and fear. 

"Not until…" 

"NOW!" Kikyou flew at him, beating her fists against his chest. But the silverhair seemed unfazed as he caught one wrist, then the other, forcing her to stop. Yet she still struggled, but whether she was trying to break way, keep hitting him, or both was anybody's guess. 

Finally, when she realized he wasn't going to let her go any time soon, she settled down, tears of frustration rolling down her cheeks. 

Upon seeing her tears, Inu Yasha steeled himself to speak. "That's better. In fact, those tears are what I wanted to ask you about." 

"Huh?" the Pet stopped moving altogether and merely stared up at him in utter confusion. 

"Every Pet I've ever seen has never worn a smile." Kikyou opened her mouth to speak, but Inu Yasha silenced her, "and not that fake thing, either! Whenever I look into a Pet's eyes, all I see is emptiness, or some negative emotion." The silverhair released her wrists to cup her face, gently smearing the tracks of her tears with his thumbs. 

"I.." she tried to move away, or even just look away, but his hands held her fast. "We.. You could never understand the life of a Pet, Inu Yasha-sama…" 

"Try me." 

Seeing that her Master's brother had the upper hand, she finally gave in. "There is nothing in this existence to justify a smile. There is no happiness, no joy. Only despair and a commitment to following orders, whatever they may be. We have no free will. Our happiness is killed the moment we begin our training. A silverhair like you could never understand!" 

"What? You think I'm _happy_ being a silverhair?" Inu Yasha demanded. 

Kikyou lapsed into shocked silence. 

"You wouldn't know because you've never had it, but money and status do the same thing. You must always act a certain way, there is always someone overseeing your work. Happiness must be sacrificed for the sake of duty. Sound familiar?" 

Kikyou was speechless as Inu Yasha could see in her eyes that her whole world had just been turned upside-down. "You're not.. happy?" 

"Hell no," he spat out. Then his expression softened. "Look, maybe we got off on the wrong foot, but perhaps we might become friends." 

"Friends?!" the Pet echoed. Then she snapped out of her stupor. "A Pet could _never_ be friends with a silverhair! It's forbidden!" 

Suddenly, a pair of arms went around her, wrapping her up and crushing her against a warm, solid chest, her own arms pinned in front of her. Inu Yasha's chin rested on her shoulder for moment before he lifted his head to whisper in her ear. "You talk too much." 

"LET GO OF THE PET! NOW!" an amplified voice boomed from the edges of the garden. 

Kikyou fought to get out of Inu Yasha's arms, but he only held her even more tightly, protectively. He looked around, gauging how many people there were. He could see at least two Furniture on each side.. all aiming laser pistols at them. 

"It seems my pockets are deeper than yours, little brother," a smooth baritone chided. 

Inu Yasha scowled as the distinctive white and red clothing of his older brother showed through the flowers. "Sesshoumaru!" he growled through gritted teeth. "You bastard!" 

"Now, now.. such language is most unbecoming of a silverhair," Sesshoumaru practically purred. His cold amber eyes flickered to the Pet. "Ah, Kikyou. How the mighty hath fallen." 

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" the Pet nearly screamed, tears swimming in her eyes once more. "This isn't my fault! I HATE him! Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sa…" 

"Enough," her Master cut her off. "That does not matter. In fact, you both walked into my trap quite nicely." 

"What?" Inu Yasha and Kikyou chorused. 

Sesshoumaru smirked. "You are getting quite old, Kikyou. The only reason I have kept you around for so long is your talent. I needed an excuse to be rid of you, and I know my pure-hearted little brother would give me the perfect opening. Poor child.. he is such a sensitive, gullible little boy.." 

"Shut the fuck up, Sesshoumaru!" Inu Yasha snarled. 

The older silverhair merely clucked his tongue. "Such a pity. Guards!" 

The Furniture that had been guarding the perimeter came closer to the center of the circle, four of them holstering their guns. Before the two knew what was happening, Inu Yasha's shoulders were gripped and held firm as Kikyou was torn out of his arms. The silverhair struggled to get free, but somehow they were holding him easily. "Kikyou!" he cried out. 

"You asshole! I HATE you! Do you hear me? I HATE YOU!" the black-haired Pet screamed, baring her teeth as the two Furniture holding her arms restrained her. "This is all because of YOU! I'll never _ever_ forget this!" The girl kept ranting until she had been dragged out of the garden and well out of earshot, fighting her captors every step of the way. 

Inu Yasha fixed glittering eyes on his brother. "What are you going to do to her, Sesshoumaru?" 

"Is it not obvious? Oh, that's right. You have never owned a Pet, so you would not know. She is going to Ranaya Uugo." 

"Ranaya Uugo?!" Inu Yasha's jaw went slack with shock. 

"Of course," Sesshoumaru responded, obviously bored. "All Pets that are too old or useless are sent there. It's better for them to work hard and die quickly than simply linger on like a ghost until they die of old age. That way, they will not be devastated by having to see their beauty further marred by the hands of time." 

"Don't make me laugh!" the younger brother spat. "That's just what you jerks tell yourselves to shut up what little conscience you have left.." 

"Inu Yasha." The words snapped out like a whip, forcing the restrained silverhair to be silent. "I would not say another word, if I were you. You are in quite a predicament yourself, at the moment.. consorting with another man's Pet without permission." Sesshoumaru walked up to his captive and cupped his relative's chin. "I should have you join Kikyou in Ranaya Uugo. But.. I can't be _that_ cruel to my baby brother, now can I?" 

Inu Yasha purposely bit his tongue to keep himself from throwing out more insults. Much as he hated to admit it, there was nothing he could do. His brother was much, much more powerful than he was, even if that power was all in money and influence. 

Sesshoumaru took his silence as a sign of surrender. "Very good. That's much better. You have come to realize that you cannot save her now. You doomed her the moment you took her in your arms." He leaned in so that his face was only a breath away from that of his brother. "Since you were a good boy and gave in so easily, I'll go lightly on you. Inu Yasha." 

Inu Yasha sat straight up, his eyes snapping open as the voice in his memory speaking his name in such stomach-turning, honeyed tones echoed over and over until it slowly faded into nothingness. He clamped his hands down over his ears and leaned forward, his chest heaving as he struggled for breath. At some point during the night, he had apparently broken out in a cold sweat that had dampened both his skin and the bed sheets. A gentle draft blew over him and he moved to wrap his arms around himself in a futile effort to ward off the chill. 

A dream. It had only been a dream. It was over and done with. There was nothing more he could have done back then. 

But this time, the girl was his, and he'd be damned if he let anyone take away her soul. 

**To be continued...**

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**Author's Note:** I'm actually really proud of this chapter, especially since I did such a rush job on Chapter 2. ;; But this is edited and gone over to the point that I'm happy. whew I hope you all enjoyed it! 

Also.. Chapter 4 kind of ran away with itself. ;; So there's going to be some lovely lemon meringue to start off the next chapter, so for those of you asking "where's more WAFF? And maybe some lemon?", read the next two chapters. 

Of course, if you liked this chapter, or think it stinks and want to tell me why.. there's a little grey button at the bottom of the page. Please press it and leave me some feedback! I live on the stuff, I tell you! So please? Pretty please? With cream and a chocolate-covered Inu Yasha (or Sessie, or Miroku) on top? Thank you!!

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See the pretty button this arrow's pointing to?  
Please click it! (and don't think too hard about what that arrow looks like...)   
  
/ 


	4. Bonding Part One

First and foremost, I apologize to all my readers out there for the incredibly long delay between chapters. Midterms and then a new job sapped all my strength from me. Originally I broke up Chapter 4 because it was getting too long. But what WAS going to be Chapter 4b is now officially Chapter 5. The space where my author's note was (since has since banned chapters that are only author's notes) is now the edited "second half" of Chapter 4. My apologies for this chapter being so short here on but most of it I can't post here thanks to the rating restriction! Grrrr… So I had to edit and rewrite part of it so people don't report me and get me kicked off the site. grumbles

To give you an idea.. without review responses, the original edited version of Chapter 4 was roughly 5000 words less than the unedited version. The edited version, even with the insert, is still roughly 4000 words less, but what can you do?

This is the "Ai no Koinu" version of a swimsuit/hot spring episode. Yes, I'm going a bit too far with the anime comparisons, aren't I? But I think we all need a little break after those past two chapters, and considering what's going to happen in future chapters. ****evil grin So just sit back, relax, and bask in the WAFFy goodness.

**Special Disclaimer:** This is the approved" version! For the more adult version, search for this story on Mediaminer, go to the "Iridescent Dreams" website, or my own site at inuyasha dot ficbit dot org! (Replace those "dot"s with "."s.) Just please leave a review when you're done! Please? begging

**Rating:** R - If sexual situations or bad words offend you.. how in the world have you gotten this far anyway? ;)

**Disclaimer:** Inu Yasha, Kagome, Shippo, and Sesshoumaru are NOT mine! If they were, I'd be doing side stories like Murakami Maki does for "Gravitation" (aka explicit lemony doujinshi.. mmmmm….). They do belong to Takahashi Rumiko, though. The planet of Amoi, the city of Tanagura, and the rest of that world aren't mine either.. those are Yoshihara Rieko's. I'm just having way too much fun with it! :D

**Ai no Koinu**

**By Elora**

Chapter 4a

"Bonding" - Part One

Bright morning light shone in through the curtains of Inu Yasha's bedroom, rousing the silverhair with a grumble. Much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to miss Shippo's wake-up calls. He'd told the Furniture time and again that one of his genetic enhancements was an internal alarm clock so that he would never awaken late for a meeting, but the little redhair just ignored that.

Now it was way too quiet in the morning.

The silverhair yawned and stretched, then slid out of bed and reached for his crimson bathrobe.

Three weeks had passed since he bought Kagome, and they had settled into a routine with almost unnerving ease. The Pet spent her days helping Shippo look after him; the Furniture already having taught her how to cook and do some cleaning.

And every time she learned something, she would have to come and tell him, her eyes sparkling with pride in her accomplishment, and pleading with him to revel with her. Depending on his mood, he'd either just smile, or make a teasing remark. There were a few times he was certain she wanted to beat him to a pulp when he crossed the line. But her composure had only slipped that once.

Absently, his fingertips brushed his pursed lips, wondering what on earth had possessed him to kiss her. Neither of them had said a word about it since that night. It had been his first kiss, actually, but he had given it freely. Much too freely. Still, it had shocked her out of her paralysis.

She wasn't like anyone he had ever met before. She was gentle and understanding, yet strong and independent. She was confusing, damn it!

Yet, somehow, he knew he wouldn't have it any other way.

Judging by his internal clock, it was a full hour before Kagome woke up. Just enough time to bathe and dress before she would want to use the facilities.

Still yawning, he walked through the bedroom door, which he had taken to keeping unlocked now. He really didn't know why he had started deviating from his routine, but he refused to delve deeper into the meaning of it. He preferred not to know.

He was still groggy as he keyed in the sequence to unlock the bathroom door, forgetting that this particular door was normally unlocked.

Until a shocked scream rang in his ears.

He found himself staring at a very soapy, but otherwise naked, Kagome.

"Wha.. what are you doing here?"

Kagome glared at him, her arms crossed over her chest and her fingers curled over her shoulders, instinctively attempting to preserve some sort of modesty.

But the bubbles in her hair ruined the serious image she was trying to project.

"Taking a bath, what's it look like?"

Inu Yasha was nonplussed. "You're not supposed to be up this early," he told her in a shocked monotone.

"I forgot to draw the curtains last night," the Pet explained, her annoyance plain, "so the sun woke me up."

"Oh, okay." The silverhair's brain had temporarily ceased to function as he gazed at the dark-haired girl in front of him. Since the incident with Sesshoumaru, he had not made any demands on her modesty. The last thing he wanted was to remind her of the life she had led before the day he bought her from the auction block. But now he was reminded of how patently beautiful she was. Her breasts and pubic area were concealed, but the soft curves of her body were very apparent. He fought back a twitch in his fingers. He wanted to touch her, smell her, imprint everything about her indelibly upon his heightened senses.

He had to get out of there!

He coughed in slight embarrassment, a slow blush coming over his cheeks as he edged back toward the door. "Just knock on my door when you're done. I've got work to do," he tried to snap, but it came out closer to a growl.

Kagome's irritation had washed away as she saw the conflicting emotions reflected in her master's golden eyes. Desire, banked down by guilt right after, but they still smouldered with admiration. Then the curtain of propriety attempted to smother it, but his natural instincts were winning.

Could it be he was actually trying to NOT take advantage of her?

For the past few weeks, he hadn't even touched her. But in her mind lingered that impromptu kiss. She had only been aware of the end of it, but that little bit was more than enough to intrigue her. What if all of his touches were like that..?

And in all honesty, she truly wanted to see more of him than his bathrobe revealed. The little she could see.. his well-muscled calves and graceful feet, and the smooth skin of his chest.. heightened her curiosity. And her heart rate.

He was almost to the door. Three.. two.. one…

"WAIT!" the Pet cried out.

Inu Yasha stopped centimeters from the panel to open the door. He turned back to Kagome in annoyance. "What?"

She put on a sheepish grin. "Uh.. well.. I know this is really rude of me, but Shippo's not awake yet…"

The silverhair's eyebrows rose. "What?"

"Would you.. well…" Courage Kagome! "I'm having trouble reaching my back…"

"Oh is that all?" Inu Yasha snapped, trying to sound as if he scrubbed the back of beautiful Pets every day. He shrugged nonchalantly. Or at least, that was what he thought he was doing. But in reality, it was the wrong thing to do, because then Kagome could see his hands shaking. "Fine, I'll do it," he bit out.

"Thank you so much!" Kagome beamed, giving him her best happy, relieved smile.

Which made his heart rise into his throat. That sparkle in her eyes.. he'd do almost anything to cause it again. "Keh," he managed to force out and strode over to where she was sitting.

**To be continued...**

To continue with the edited version of Chapter 4, please scroll down and use the drop list to click on "Bonding - Part 2". This chapter contains some new material I wrote to make the transition between the edited Chapter 4 and the next chapter a bit more smooth. I fully admit that the "edited" version I posted way back in 2002 was a major rush job, so hopefully this will make up for it. And I also want to especially thank Ithilwen for her review, which pointed out to me exactly how much I was changing the plot and even the theme of the entire story by taking out the lemon completely. In fact, Chapter 5 doesn't make sense without at least the implication that Inu Yasha and Kagome became "more intimate" than before. Originally I had only planned the story to go through this lemon scene since it was for an AU lemon round robin on the Iridescent Dreams website. Then the story ran away from me, and I didn't even see the majority of the plot threads that had been woven until it was pointed out to me by an outside source. :) You have my eternal gratitude, Ithilwen! 


	5. Bonding Part Two

I almost forgot.. a huge round of thanks also goes to AnimeRebel02, who also brought it to my attention that I at least needed to imply the lemon. It's thanks to reviewers like you that my stories keep improving. Thank you so much! 

**Special Disclaimer:** This is the approved" version! For the more adult version, search for this story on Mediaminer, go to the "Iridescent Dreams" website, or my own site at inuyasha dot ficbit dot org! (Replace those "dot"s with "."s.) Just please leave a review when you're done! Please? begging

**Rating:** R - If sexual situations or bad words offend you.. how in the world have you gotten this far anyway? ;)

**Disclaimer:** Inu Yasha, Kagome, Shippo, and Sesshoumaru are NOT mine! If they were, I'd be doing side stories like Murakami Maki does for "Gravitation" (aka explicit lemony doujinshi.. mmmmm….). They do belong to Takahashi Rumiko, though. The planet of Amoi, the city of Tanagura, and the rest of that world aren't mine either.. those are Yoshihara Rieko's. I'm just having way too much fun with it! :D

**Ai no Koinu**

**By Elora**

Chapter 4b

"Bonding" - Part Two

Shippo was safely still in dreamland, the curtains drawn, keeping the room dark enough for him to stay asleep. For once, he had enjoyed a peaceful night's rest. Most nights he was plagued by dreams, half-remembered faces and places flashing through his consciousness. There were loud ringing sounds, and a slither on the wind that made his skin crawl. A metallic scent and taste he could not place filled his senses, and he would wake up drenched in sweat, a silent scream on his lips. 

But no one knew this. Not even Kagome-sama. Several times he had wanted to run to her when he awoke, tell her everything, and let her console him. He had started to think of the Pet as a mother to him. She was gentle and kind. She never talked down to him, even though he was Furniture, and therefore, her servant. She always answered him when he spoke, and when he made her laugh, she had the brightest smile he had ever seen. 

At the moment, however, relaxing darkness was all he knew. 

Until his alarm went off and the curtains parted, letting full sunlight stream into the room. 

"Urgh," he mumbled. "I don't wanna get up." He buried his face in his pillow. 

But he could already feel the energy gathering in his muscles as his mind came back to reality. There was breakfast to be made, the living room to straighten, Inu Yasha-sama and Kagome-sama to awaken… 

With a groan, he forced himself out of bed. 

He had just finished putting on his uniform when he happened to glance at the clock. 

No, his eyes were just playing tricks on him. It had to be a little after six, not eight. 

He kept staring, but the number didn't change. 

Shippo went over to the alarm control panel, and he almost felt his heart stop. 

He had accidentally switched the timers on his and Kagome-sama's rooms! 

"Oh NO!" he cried, and scampered out of his room as fast as his legs could carry him. 

"Kagome-sama! Kagome-sama! I'm so very sorry..!" The door of her room opened, but Kagome wasn't there. Shippo was immediately struck with even more guilt. He had woken her up! He rushed back out of the room. Maybe she was in the kitchen? 

He checked. No sign of her. 

He scoured the study, the office, the spare bedrooms, EVERYWHERE except Inu Yasha-sama's bedroom and the bathroom. 

Shippo gulped. She couldn't be in Inu Yasha's room, could she? 

The Furniture tiptoed to the remaining bedroom. He raised his hand and drew close enough to knock. The door slid open before he could even touch it. 

Nobody there. 

Panic set in. 

"Where IS everybody?!" he wailed. He hadn't seen any notes lying around. Where were they?! 

Then he remembered there was one room he hadn't checked. 

"Please, please let somebody be in there!" Shippo thought as he ran pell-mell down the hall and across the living room. He tried to take the short steps leading to the slightly sunken area in the middle of the living room two at a time, but he misjudged the distance and ended up stubbing his toe on the third step. He crashed to the ground, his knees and elbows stinging from the impact, and his toe throbbing from the abuse he had put it through. He spared only a moment to pull himself together before forcing himself to his feet and shakily starting to run again. He took the three steps going up a bit more carefully. 

He had the momentum to fling himself at the door, the names of his Master and Kagome-sama already on his lips, waiting to be cried out in his next breath… 

When the sound of a muffled voice from the other side of the bathroom door made him choke back the words. 

"Someone's there. Oh thank Jupiter!" he thought. The tension left his body all at once and he collapsed into a kneeling position, his limbs trembling in the aftermath of the adrenaline rush. "They didn't leave me. I'm not alone." 

Then the sounds from behind the door grew louder. Two familiar names were spoken in broken tones, interspersed with soft moans and other unintelligible phrases. 

Shippo's mind froze in shock. They couldn't. They weren't. 

A cry full of longing, ripped from the throat of one who had reached completion, dispelled any doubt. 

"Inu Yasha-sama." 

Just then, the doorbell rang. 

Shippo stayed where he was, too swamped with disbelief and fear for the two people he valued most in his life to move. 

The bell rang again. 

He had to get that. If he didn't, Inu Yasha-sama and Kagome-sama would come out of the bathroom and see him sitting there, having obviously listened in on their private moment. 

The doorbell rang a third time. 

Shippo got to his feet and scampered to the door 

"Who is it?" the Furniture asked. 

"Delivery for Inu Yasha-sama," came the reply. 

Shippo keyed in the opening sequence and the door slid open. Before him stood a blackhair in a delivery uniform. The man looked a bit nervous. 

"I can take that," Shippo offered, staring at the package the man held. 

The blackhair shook his head. "I'm sorry. I was told to hand it to Inu Yasha-sama directly." 

"By who?" Shippo put his fists on his hips. 

"My boss. I can ONLY give this to Inu Yasha-sama. Please understand." 

Shippo sighed in frustration. He didn't want to intrude on his Master and Kagome-sama's privacy any more than he already had, but this idiot was making him. "Oh, all right. Just stay there, okay?" 

The deliveryman nodded his head in assent, and Shippo turned back toward the bathroom. 

He just hoped Inu Yasha-sama would take out his frustration on the delivery guy, not him!

* * *

"Inu Yasha-sama!" the familiar voice of Shippo called as he pounded on the bathroom door. 

"Go away, brat. I'm busy!" Inu Yasha called back, trying to keep the hint of annoyance out of his voice. 

"I'm sorry, Inu Yasha-sama, but there's a messenger here with something he needs you to sign, and he won't let me do it!" this last part sounded like the Furniture was slightly insulted by that. 

"Damn it," the silverhair muttered so that only Kagome could hear. "I'm sorry." 

Kagome shook her head. "It's all right. I need to get cleaned up a bit anyway." 

Inu Yasha turned so that he faced the door. "I'll be right there!" he yelled. Then he heard Shippo leave. He gave Kagome one last squeeze, planting a kiss on her forehead before reluctantly disentangling himself. He rose and, with a decided lack of concern for protocol, simply grabbed a clean towel and wound it about his waist. 

He knew Sesshoumaru would kill him if he ever found out that Inu Yasha was being so casual, but the silverhair knew his older brother wasn't there to see, so who cared? He strode confidently over to the door, keyed in the unlocking sequence, and left the room looking ever-so-slightly like a drowned rat. 

As Inu Yasha made way to the front door, the reaction of the poor man holding the package made him smirk. Obviously, the last thing the delivery guy expected to see was a nearly naked silverhair, his white-grey mane damp, and a towel as his only garment. The man's eyes widened as he fought the impulse to gape open-mouthed. 

"I heard you've got a package I have to sign for," Inu Yasha said easily, as if this were an everyday occurrence. 

"Y.. Yes, sir," the messenger stammered. "I was told to hand this to you.. and you alone." 

Curiosity piqued, Inu Yasha went closer and peered at the package. He'd recognize the slightly sloppy script on it anywhere. "Oh yeah! I'd forgotten about it." 

The delivery person held out a clipboard and pen, and the silverhair added his signature to the receipt. The package was held out on a slightly shaking hand, and Inu Yasha took it, giving his most charming grin in return. "Be sure and tell your boss 'thanks' for me." 

The messenger bowed slightly. "I.. I will. Thank you very much for your patronage," and the apparent blackhair quickly turned back toward the elevators. 

Inu Yasha shut and locked the door, tilting the box this way and that. If the contents were what he thought… "Damn that was fast," he muttered. 

**To be continued...**

**_Preview:_** A gift.. some banter.. a date.. nothing in the world could ruin such a perfect day. Right? Chapter 5, "Slipping the Leash", is coming soon! 

**Author's note:** 62 reviews?!? Holy Guacamole! I don't know what to say! I never expected there to be so many up through Chapter 3! Think you're done with the fluff.. oh not hardly! Next up, a whole chapter of it! Of course, we'll probably all need it to get through the chapters following. evil grin

And as always.. please review! Please, please? I live for feedback.. always have, always will! It's my writer's paycheck of sorts, except it means much more to me than just plain money ever could. So please do? HUGE anime eyes


	6. Slipping the Leash

A year and a half. Wow. I never expected to take this long between chapters. I'll be honest; I've had this actually written in a notebook since mid-2003, but getting me and a working computer together to type this up has been a bit of a challenge. I rushed the edited version of Chapter 4 and regret it, so I want to get Chapter 5 right by way of apology. 

What is now "Chapter 5" took me by complete surprise. I had some vague ideas past chapter 4, but nothing concrete. Now, almost two years later, I have the entire story planned out, with snippets written down on various pieces of paper as inspiration hit. I'm not floundering anymore, and I'm very thankful for that. 

My deepest thanks go to my reviewers.. especially Ithilwen and AnimeRebel02 who made me realize that my lemon was actually a pivotal event (originally it was the end, AHEM), and that "Chapter 5" made no sense without it being implied that something had happened. You'll know what I mean once you read it. 

In a nutshell, the story got away from me, but now it's firmly bridled and lets me ride. Sometimes. When other plot bunnies don't scare it off. wields her Pink Moon Stick 

Now, at long last, the story continues!

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**Rating:** PG-13 for some coarse language and sexual innuendo. But it ain't gonna stay this tame for long, folks.

**Pairing:** Primarily IY/Kag, with some Sess/Kag and IY/Kik situations along the way. 

**Disclaimer:** Inu Yasha, Kagome, Shippo, and Sesshoumaru don't belong to me.. they are Takahashi Rumiko's. Tanagura, Amoi, hovercars and all that other stuff from the "Ai no Kusabi" world are Yoshihara Rieko's. The satellite city of Demeter, however, does belong to me and my friend Ceilyn. And Abe's mine, but I don't know of anybody else who'd want him anyway. ;)

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**Ai no Koinu**

By Elora

Chapter 5

"What was fast?" 

Inu Yasha looked up at the sound of Kagome's voice and started to reply, but the words caught in his throat. Somehow in the time it had taken him to retrieve the package, Kagome had snuck out of the bathroom to her bedroom and changed. She now wore a dark red dress in a style that was simple, but suited her very well. 

The material of the dress was slightly stretchy, with flaps of fabric like tulip petals making short sleeves, and a scoop neck just low enough to give a tantalizing hint of cleavage. The top was snug, but the bottom flowed out into a full skirt that fell just above her knees. From the cut of that skirt, if she twirled around fast enough… 

"What do you think?" she asked, doing just that. 

The skirt whirled out, just barely concealing her underwear, if she was wearing any. 

At his silence, Kagome stopped twirling and her face fell. "You don't like it? I'm sorry. Shippo said you liked red…" 

"Where did you get that?" Inu Yasha demanded. 

Kagome lowered her head, clasping her hands behind her back dejectedly. "It was in one of the catalogues Shippo brought me. I can send it back." 

"No, no, you don't have to do that," the silverhair cut her off, trying to find a way to voice his true opinion. "You just surprised me. It's not like the stuff you usually wear." He thought back to the blouses, tank tops, and cardigans with regular skirts or pants she seemed to prefer. He knew Sesshoumaru would lecture his ears off if it were ever discovered that he liked to keep his Pet CLOTHED, but he really didn't care. If it made Kagome comfortable, then it was worth the risk. 

The Pet blushed, finally realizing that her master's silence was far from disapproving. More like admiring… 

Inu Yasha finally woke himself up from his trance by shaking his head. There was no more time for fantasizing. He really should put on something more than a towel. He strode over to her and thrust the package into her hands. "This is for you, but don't open it until I get back," he told her, then brushed by, making a beeline for his room. 

Kagome's eyes widened. "For me?" she pondered. The name on the package was the silverhair's, but what could possibly be inside it? She tried not to let her imagination run away with her, but it was a losing battle, and when Inu Yasha came back, he caught her with a naughty grin on her face. 

"Okay, what are you up to, wench?" he asked, raising one eyebrow slightly, but the smile on his face taking the sting out of his words. 

She continued to beam at him. "Just thinking about what could be in here," she told him, her eyes telling him far more about the train of her thoughts than her voice. 

He felt the rising heat of a blush start to glow in his cheeks, especially in lieu of what had happened just a short time ago. "It's nothing like that. Go ahead and open it." 

"Aw shucks," came Kagome's teasing reply before she applied herself to finding a free end of tape. 

"_Shucks? Did she just say 'shucks'?_" Inu Yasha thought to himself. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked her over. There were only a handful of people he had ever heard say that, and they were all… 

"Oh my!" Kagome exclaimed, having finally found her way into the package, the brown paper falling away to reveal a small box covered in velvet the color of red wine. "What in the world..?" 

"Open it and find out," Inu Yasha coaxed. 

Kagome nodded in compliance, then carefully lifted the lid. 

Inside lay a deceptively simple, yet very pretty, bracelet with some kind of silver metal wrought in the shape of many-petaled flowers, the petals themselves being carved out of some kind of crystalline gem. 

"I.. it's beautiful," the Pet stammered. "But why?" 

"It's actually your tracking bracelet. I just had it modified. The normal ones are so plain. They look like slave chains." His face twisted. "I don't want people treating you like they normally would, and if they saw a regular tracking bracelet.." he shrugged eloquently. 

Kagome was stunned by the enormity of his gift and the risk he was taking. "But what if Sesshoumaru-sama finds out?" 

"He won't like it one bit. But it does function as a regular tracking bracelet, so I'm perfectly within the law. It's deviant, but not dangerously so." 

"Still…" 

"That's enough, Kagome," he snapped. "Just say 'thank you' and put it on." 

Kagome bit her lip, but did as she was told, taking the jewelry out and handing her master the box. She draped the creation around her wrist, locking the clasp with a satisfying SNAP. Inu Yasha accepted the box and pulled out a microchip that was hidden underneath the display pillows inside. He put the box back together, set it down, then raised his arm to slide one panel of the bracer around his left wrist back to install the tracker. Once he was finished, he looked up to see Kagome still staring at the bracelet. 

"If you really hate it that much, I can replace it," he bit out. 

Kagome raised her head to look him in the eye, surprise plain on her face. "No, it's beautiful. I've just never had something like this, and I.. I'm worried about you." She looked off to the side, a blush coming to her cheeks. 

"Keh," he snorted, "is that all? Look, I can take care of myself." 

"I know, but.. but.." He caught a scent of tears. "I can't help it!" Kagome burst out, her eyes brimming. 

For a split second, the suspicious side of his nature got the better of him. "_She's just worried about going to a different master if you're brainwashed_," it whispered in his ear. But all he needed was one look in her deep, watery eyes to see that her concern really was entirely on his behalf. 

"Come on, don't cry about it," he rebuked her, but in contrast to his voice, his hands came up and cupped her cheeks, his thumbs pressing under her eyes to free the droplets there, then catch them and wipe them away as they fell. "I can't take you out if your face is all red and puffy." 

Kagome blinked, slightly confused not only by his words, but the paradox he was presenting himself to be. "Out?" she echoed, trying to understand what he meant. 

Inu Yasha let his hands drop to her shoulders, but the softness in his touch transferred to his eyes. "I just thought you might be getting bored being cooped up in here, so since you have a tracker on now, you can go out, and I was going to ask if you wanted to take a trip with me." 

Kagome couldn't believe she was hearing him right. "You want to take me out? But why? Besides, Pets are not supposed to just wander around with their masters!" 

"Hence the bracelet," he interrupted, looking down at her not unkindly. "To the casual passerby, they'll only stare at the fact that a silverhair is in the company of a blackhair." 

"You've had this planned..?" 

Inu Yasha didn't give her a chance to finish as he turned his back on her and walked toward the door. When he was halfway across the room, he called over his shoulder, "If you wanna come, follow me now. Otherwise, you can just stay here." 

A tiny flame of indignation lighted in Kagome's eyes as she strode over to her master. As soon as she was roughly four paces behind him, he continued walking until he reached the door and it slid open in response to the code he keyed in. 

Kagome shortened the distance to two paces, following the silverhair out and down the hall to the elevator. They got into the small compartment, and as soon as the door closed, Inu Yasha smirked. "I was beginning to think you didn't like surprises." 

"Oh shush," Kagome retorted, fighting the urge to cross her arms over her chest in annoyance. 

When the doors opened up onto the lobby, they followed the Master and Pet rules. Inu Yasha took the lead, his Pet the minimum two steps behind. Inu Yasha could feel the eyes on him, and how they lingered on Kagome, undressing her in the forum of their fevered imaginations. Part of him wanted to growl, warning the others away. But he knew that if he did, it would betray the fact that he was developing actual feelings for the girl, which would win him a one-way ticket to behavior modification or worse. So he just kept his eyes fixed forward, staring at the door like the lifeline it was. 

As soon as they reached the street, they both took a deep breath in relief. They waited until they were a good two blocks away before calmly striding into an alley. 

When they were out of the sight of the common crowd, Inu Yasha stopped and turned, already braced for Kagome, who walked into him a split second later. 

The Pet looked up, about to apologize, when she found herself crushed against the very warm and solid chest of her master. His arms were tight around her, and his head lowered to bury his nose in her hair. Kagome settled in to savor the moment, even though she wondered what had brought it on. 

Then she remembered the stares in the lobby. It must have stretched Inu Yasha's volatile self-control to the limit to keep from openly staking his claim on her heart in response to the desirous expressions on the faces of his building-mates. But now, away from all eyes, he could give in to the impulse. 

She slid her arms up and around his waist to return the embrace, squeezing just as tightly, unspoken acknowledgement of his emotions and a reassurance that she felt the same. 

They stayed that way for several moments until Inu Yasha regretfully pulled away. Kagome stared up at him, her eyes shining and her cheeks pink, the crown of her head slightly rough-looking from where his chin had rested on it. 

"Now I think we're ready," he said with a smile. "I will be playing the arrogant silverhair." 

Kagome grinned, quickly catching onto the ruse. "And I will be the pretty but empty-headed lower-class toy, right?" 

Inu Yasha nodded. "That's the only way." 

"It's all right," Kagome finished. She gave him a genuine smile, then stepped to the side and grabbed his arm in both of hers, clinging to him like any common leech and gazing up at him with such hollow admiration that he had to take a minute to get the impulse to laugh under control. 

"You're good," he rumbled in an undertone. 

Kagome blinked, seemingly confused. "That's what people tell me." 

Inu Yasha lost the battle and started chortling, making Kagome giggle wholeheartedly. Then he took a deep breath and snapped his silverhair mask firmly into place before making his way out of the alley. Kagome easily fell into step beside him. 

The two casually strolled out of the alleyway, as if they had just stopped there for a brief moment of indiscretion. Apparently they looked the part, judging by the disapproving headshakes and stifled chuckles of the people who passed them. Between Kagome's flushed and rumpled appearance and Inu Yasha's studied obliviousness to it, anyone walking by could easily see what they thought to be a very transparent play of silverhair nonchalance. 

Even the taxi driver seemed to share in the fabricated joke after Inu Yasha hailed him and then handed Kagome into the conveyance. The "blackhair" let her skirt ride up to mid-thigh as she slid over to make room for her companion. The silverhair glared at her disapprovingly, but took the seat she offered nonetheless. It would have been a serious breach of protocol if the driver let his amusement show on his face, but the air inside the vehicle was charged with merriment. 

Pretending he didn't feel it at all, Inu Yasha directed the taxi to the Flare district. He didn't dare take Kagome too far into the heart of Tanagura. The more higher-class the area, the more likely it was that their charade would be uncovered. But Flare primarily served the lower classes of citizens, so it would be easy to make the excuse that his companion would be more comfortable there and he was indulging her. 

When the hovercar finally stopped at their destination, Inu Yasha paid the driver, then opened the door and slid out onto the sidewalk with fluid grace. Kagome followed in what would have been a graceful manner, except for the enthusiastic bounces she inserted, both conveying her excitement and drawing attention to her chest. 

The silverhair narrowed his eyes at his companion, and she gave him a dazzling smile in return. With a long-suffering sigh, he began the journey, Kagome latching onto his arm again. 

At least, until they began to walk past a huge department store with a picture window that stretched from the sidewalk to the second floor and nearly filled the entire wall widthwise. 

Kagome's eyes grew wide and she let go of her partner's arm to rush closer to the glass, ostensibly admiring the gaudy outfit in the window. But Inu Yasha could see in her reflection that she was staring at the showroom beyond, her eyes full of excitement, longing, and a touch of fear. 

He knew that Pets were not allowed to go to stores and shop, so a place as large as that one would overwhelm her. Not to mention, the clerks would see right through their façade when his dark-haired "plaything" stood in the middle of the aisles gaping as if she'd never been in a store in her life, and would respond to their helpful questions with a look of confusion. 

He winced inwardly at the harshness of the words that formed on his tongue, but he had no choice. 

"You are making a scene," he rebuked her, using his best Sesshoumaru impression, praying she'd remember he was only pretending to be a typical silverhair. 

The Pet turned, her eyes full of shocked hurt until she mentally slapped herself. "_He was just playing his role_," she thought. Her belief was corroborated by the twinge of regret she saw in the depths of her lover's gold eyes. So, she had better keep in character, too! "But.. Inu Yasha-sama…" she pouted. 

Inu Yasha gave a mental sigh of relief as he saw the hurt on Kagome's face change to comprehension, then all semblance of intelligence drain away. He raised an eyebrow; similar to the way Sesshoumaru did when he was being contradicted. "You have enough clothing." 

"Buuuuuuuuut," she wheedled, her eyes going limpid and starry. 

Her master approached her and slid one arm about her shoulders, his fingers closing around her upper arm and squeezing as he led her away by the sheer force of his confining embrace as he walked farther from the source of temptation. 

"I am sure we can find some other place to indulge your whims. Perhaps something to match that gift I presented you with earlier." 

Kagome's eyes grew wide before she recovered enough to beam. "Inu Yasha-sama!" she cried joyfully. 

They continued to walk, his arm apparently around her to keep her from doing more window-shopping. However, Inu Yasha was honestly worried about their narrow escape. He had heard of a place from one of his contacts that sounded more like what she would need, and where they would both be comfortable. If only he could find it… 

Meanwhile, Kagome simply nestled into his embrace. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, which in turn made warmth come into her cheeks as she thought about that morning and images of his naked form flashed into her mind. 

The silverhair could almost feel her start to become aroused, never mind his nose catching the shift in her scent. But he did not dare let go. Fortunately, if the directions he had been given were correct, the store he was searching for should be close by. So he steeled himself to fight the impulses his lover's reactions were causing. 

Finally, they stopped in front of a rather dilapidated shop with a weathered wooden sign, the store name having been worn off by years of wind and polluted rain. The door itself was glass and metal, but the windows were curtained off from the inside. The only sign that this was actually an expensive store lay in the wood paneling that had been nailed over the sheet metal that had originally covered the building and continued to do so from the second floor up. The wood had to be imported from the satellite city of Demeter, and thus must have cost a small fortune. 

"Here we are," Inu Yasha announced, finally releasing his companion. He strode over to the door and pulled the handle toward him, opening the portal wide. "After you," he invited. 

Kagome stepped forward timidly, the role she was playing all but forgotten. As soon as she entered, her heels sank slightly into the rich, brown shag rug that covered the entire floor. She stood mesmerized, drinking in the tiny shop hungrily. 

Inu Yasha let himself in, sliding around the awestruck Pet. As he took in Kagome's expression, he was very glad that he had decided to take her here. The dark-haired girl jumped a little as he leaned over and placed his lips near her ear. "Go ahead and look around a little," he whispered. 

Kagome turned toward him to nod, then felt him lean in even closer. So close, in fact, that his lips touched hers and captured them, sneaking in one more moment of illicit pleasure. 

"So, are you two going to just keep necking in my doorway, or did you actually come to buy something?" a creaky old voice dryly reprimanded. 

Kagome gasped and broke the kiss to turn a lovely shade of tomato red and suddenly find her shoes to be a most fascinating thing. 

But Inu Yasha had no such modesty and grinned rakishly. "How about both?" 

"Humph," the voice replied. "Young people nowadays, I swear." A set of curtains that had been draped to blend in with the grain of the wooden walls was flung back as a wizened old man tottered out to the showroom. Then he looked up and saw the nature of his guests. His faded blue eyes grew wide in fear. "A.. a silverhair!" 

"Keh. You've got nothing to fear from me. I'm just here to let her do some shopping," Inu Yasha gestured to Kagome. 

"Begging your pardon, sir. I meant no disrespect." 

"Oh yes, you did. I don't care about rudeness, but lying," his eyes flashed dangerously, "is another story." 

The proprietor gulped. "Y.. yes, sir." 

Then the silverhair turned a warm smile on his lover. "Go ahead, Kagome. Pick out something you like." 

The Pet hesitated for a moment more before taking a few tentative steps toward a glass case filled with sparkling jewels. She had seen such riches before, of course, adorning the necks, wrists, ankles, and fingers of favored Pets, but never so many at one time, and not under the dazzling light of a display. 

Yet, none of the myriad of sparkling colors caught her attention beyond the initial glitter. They were either too small, or somehow seemed flawed. She eventually turned her attention to the other huge transparent display case. 

This one held more simple jewelry, the primary stones clear or translucent with tiny flecks of color. Other pieces had no jewels whatsoever and shone with their own particular metallic gleam. 

The proprietor was starting to wring his hands, fearing the declaration that nothing was good enough. He was used to serving redhairs, not silverhairs and their mysteriously dark-haired playthings. 

Finally, Kagome's eyes lit upon a piece that caught her attention. She leaned forward, practically pressing her nose to the glass in an attempt to make sure she wasn't just seeing things. 

Inu Yasha, who had been standing casually in the center of the room and amusing himself by watching both Kagome and the owner, noted his lover's interest and walked over to her. 

Sensing him behind her, Kagome spoke without turning. "Don't those look like they match my bracelet?" 

Inu Yasha came up beside her and looked in the general direction she was staring in. He blinked as he realized she was right. It must be another part of the same set! Against a black velvet cushion laid a pair of earrings, each one a perfect flower, as if someone had taken two links off of Kagome's bracelet and put them there. 

"Would you like them?" he asked, turning his head to face her. 

"Mm-hm!" she responded, unconsciously mimicking him. 

Inu Yasha straightened and fixed his eyes on the old man. "I think we've found something." 

"Y.. yes, sir. Right away," the man groveled and made his way over to the display. When he reached to unlock the case, Inu Yasha could see the owner's hand shaking, and he knew it wasn't from age. 

The internal debate took only a split second to resolve. He HATED when people were scared of him just because of his hair color, and it was blatantly obvious that the shopkeeper had acquired the earrings from the same source he himself had gotten Kagome's bracelet. Which would explain the recommendation he had been given. It also meant that the old man could be trusted. Confident in his decision, Inu Yasha dropped his mask entirely. "Oh cut the toadying bullshit, will ya?" he sighed in exasperation, rolling his eyes for punctuation. 

The keys to the case dropped to the floor as the shopkeeper's whole body froze. He gaped in complete and utter shock at the swift, completely abnormal change. Then he squinted, trying to make out the roots of his customer's hair. 

Inu Yasha leaned over the counter, bracing one elbow on top of it. The other hand grabbed one of his forelocks and waved the end carelessly between his middle and index fingers. "Yeah, this is real. We might have an acquaintance in common, but hair dye isn't one of the things I buy from him." 

Defiance etched itself into the folds of the shopkeeper's weathered face. "What are you talking about?" 

Inu Yasha stood up, took Kagome's forearm in his free hand, and held it up so that the older man could see the bracelet around her wrist. "Your earrings match this bracelet," he said meaningfully. "Which, of course, is why I want to buy them." 

The shopkeeper's eyes shifted once more from shock to suspicion, then he shrugged as if brushing the whole thing off. "They were just some things a black cat found in the garbage." 

"Yet one cat's trash is another cat's treasure." 

Kagome watched the exchange with interest, feeling the tension grow more and more oppressive until it suddenly dissipated with Inu Yasha's last words. The old man's shoulders relaxed and he stuck his hands in his pockets as he surveyed the silverhair. "Well, I'll be damned," he murmured. 

Inu Yasha smirked. "Not until I've bought those earrings, old man." 

The proprietor finally broke out in a nearly toothless grin. "Wouldn't have it any other way." 

Now it was Inu Yasha's turn to look surprised. He covered it quickly, but not fast enough to keep the shopkeeper from seeing. The old man winked, then bent to pick up his keys. He deftly rose and unlocked the case before pocketing the keys and pushing the protective glass panel aside. 

He drew out the pillow that the earrings rested on with great care, then set it before Kagome. The Pet was surprised to see humor in the depths of the old man's eyes, and something akin to affection. "Would you like to try them on?" he asked. 

"Y.. yes, sir," Kagome stuttered. 

The shopkeeper blushed. "I've never been a 'sir'. Just call me Abe." 

"Okay," the girl replied as she nodded. "Abe." 

The proprietor smiled even wider as Kagome reached up to take out the flesh-toned studs that she wore every day. She put them in a pocket of her dress, then reached for the jeweled flowers. 

Both men watched her with a natural fascination. To put the new earrings in, she had to flip her hair back, then one hip jutted out, and her eyes turned introspective as she concentrated on putting the small post through her ear piercing. They mentally shook themselves awake just before she finished. 

She turned her head from side to side. "How do they look?" she asked her companion. 

Inu Yasha nodded in approval. "Good. Really good," he told her. 

Kagome blushed and smiled. "Thank you." 

The silverhair turned to the third person in the room. "How much do I owe you?" 

"I admit it's tempting to say 'nothing', considering how good they look on her, but I do have bills to pay," the old man told him. "Shall we say.. 1 million credits?" 

"You're still walking away with a hefty profit, old man," Inu Yasha challenged. 

"The only way to do business," the shopkeeper countered. 

Inu Yasha would have stayed and haggled, but he knew that it would make Kagome uncomfortable, since she probably would not understand what was going on. With a grudging sigh, he pulled out his wallet. "I'll get you back later," he threatened. 

"I'll be looking forward to it," the old man said with another grin as he accepted the payment. "But for today, have fun. And missy," he fixed his faded blue gaze on Kagome, "keep an eye on this one so he doesn't try anything funny." 

Kagome's thoughts immediately flew once again to that morning, and a light, proud flush came to her cheeks. 

"I'm more worried about HER pulling something," the silverhair jerked his thumb in his Pet's direction. "And you would, too, if you knew her." 

"Inu Ya…" 

"I'm not surprised," the shopkeeper winked. "I should have realized that, a fiery young woman like yours…" 

Kagome's blush went deeper. "Well, I guess if you two are going to talk about me even though I'm standing right here, I'll leave you to it," she informed the two men, trying in vain to hide that she was slightly embarrassed. 

As the young woman exited out onto the street, the two men looked at each other, then burst out laughing. 

"I haven't seen a girl that lively in a long time," the shopkeeper wheezed, trying to catch his breath. 

Inu Yasha breathed deeply to get air back into his lungs. "That's one of the reasons she's living with me now," he confessed. Then he took on a very serious expression. "And I intend to make sure she stays there." 

The proprietor nodded. "You're a strange one, most definitely. All I can do is wish you luck." 

"Thanks," Inu Yasha nodded. "I think I'm going to need it. I'll see you later. There's a girl outside waiting for me." He strode away, raising his hand in farewell. 

As soon as the door had shut behind him, the old man let out a speculative sigh. "There's no THINK about it, boy. Be careful. VERY careful."

* * *

The wind felt good against Kagome's heated face. It caressed her gently, cooling her skin until only a hint of her blush remained. It also encouraged her to breathe and take a minute to think. She was a Pet, there was no reason for her to blush when others talked of her sexual exploits. But with Inu Yasha it had been an incredibly tender, intimate encounter. She had coupled with him as a woman, not a Pet. So it was as a woman she was reacting now. Even a month ago, she never would have dreamed that she would be in such a position. She was far happier than she felt she had a right to be. The man who was her "master" was kind and gentle. Well, he could be abrasive, but that was just to hide the softness inside. She was still technically a Pet, but today, she felt much more like a citizen, someone who was treated with respect. Well, mostly. Any disrespect was heavily laced with affection. 

Just a little bit ago, she had been headed for the isolated prison camp known as Ranaya Uugo. Now she was cared for. Maybe even.. dared she even think of it.. loved? 

She heard the shop door open behind her and a pair of strong arms enfolded her. She nestled into the solid, recognizable warmth at her back. "I think the shopkeeper was right the first time." 

There was a rumble in Inu Yasha's chest that sounded quite a bit like suppressed laughter. "If he looks out his window, he'll know that," the silverhair retorted. 

"Much as I'm enjoying this," Kagome told him before squeezing his forearms, then ducking below them. She twirled around to face her lover, standing on tiptoe to land a kiss on the tip of his nose before he could recover. "You're supposed to be acting like a silverhair." 

Inu Yasha's eyes widened in alarm before they hardened. "Dammit, bitch, look what you do to me!" he muttered. 

"Let's keep shopping, Inu Yasha-samaaaa!" Kagome trilled, skipping backward a few steps and clasping her hands behind her back before turning around to lead the way, pretending for the moment that she hadn't heard for the sake of recovering their former charade. 

The silverhair's hands fisted at his sides in frustrated exasperation. He forced himself to follow in his Pet's footsteps, walking stiffly and almost like one of his position should, except for the angry tension that pulled his muscles taut and made his eyes blaze. He clenched his jaw, pretending he didn't know the airheaded creature before him. A silverhair would NEVER willingly walk BEHIND a blackhair. 

Of course, with his emotions ruling his mind, it never occurred to him that if anybody had actually been watching, their cover had already been blown. 

He was so engrossed with the string of epithets running through his head that he almost walked right by the object of his irritation.. who was once again standing before a glass window. But this time, her nose was nearly pressed against it. 

What stopped him was the high-pitched squeal, "They're soooooo cute!" 

Inu Yasha jerked back as if some master puppeteer had taken the strings and dragged him in that direction. Cautiously, he approached her and tried to peer around her shoulder to see what she was so excited about. 

Specially-made soundproof glass muted the creature on the other side, but nothing could dampen the excited movements as jaws yapped and a tail wagged so hard, Inu Yasha briefly wondered if it was going to fly off. Between silent barks, its tongue lolled out, dying to slobber all over the kind face looking in. 

And Kagome wasn't helping matters with her coos and babytalk, as if the puppy on the other side could hear her. 

Inu Yasha caught the sensation of the tips of his ears drooping and growled to himself. It was all he could do not to snap 'it's just a stupid dog' as he felt unreasonable jealousy flare instinctively. He wanted to bark in reply, convey to the silly pup that the dark-pelted bitch was his! HIS! 

Then he realized the impulse that was attempting to take over his senses, and mentally reeled back. What was he THINKING? He was a silverhair, an elite of Eos… 

Whose distant ancestor had chosen to combine human DNA with choice elements of dog DNA to enhance his offspring's senses of hearing and smell. 

Until now he, like that puppy, had been kept in a plastic, soundproof room safe from harm. He had stayed inside, although he'd been occasionally permitted to have a little freedom by putting on a show of rebellion. But the girl before him, Kagome, had led him to this pass. He was outside. He was tasting a bit of true freedom, if only for an afternoon, and already he was being forced to face his own base instincts and weaknesses. 

He didn't even hear Kagome calling his name until a note of panic entered her voice. "Inu Yasha?" 

"Hmm?" he eloquently responded. 

The Pet's warm brown eyes held pure worry in them. She'd known Inu Yasha was behind her as she played with the puppy, but his unnatural silence finally got the better of her. She turned to see his tormented golden eyes staring at some point near the top of the window, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. She now held one fist in both her own hands. "Are you all right?" 

"_No, I'm not_," was what he really wanted to tell her, but what came out was the much more cryptic, "I think you only like me for my ears." And even that was more of a mumble under his breath. 

But his lover heard the comment. Something was bothering him, she could tell. However, she decided not to press the issue. He would tell her when the time was right. He was already giving her so much, the least she could do was give him some time to straighten out his thoughts. She opted to lighten the mood instead. 

"Aww.. but they're so cute!" Kagome grinned, standing on tiptoe to 'scratch' between his ears. "Good doggie." 

"Stop treating me like a dog!" he growled, but there was very little menace in it as he instinctively leaned into her caress. 

Kagome bit back several retorts that bubbled up to her lips. She needed to calm him down, not rile him up even more. She let her hand move over until she found the edge of his ear and started to rub it. 

Inu Yasha felt a calming, exciting shiver roll down his spine at his lover's ministrations, but he knew he had to put a stop to it. They HAD to be making a scene. But more importantly, a few minutes more, and everybody would know how happy Kagome made him. 

The silverhair gently ducked his head away from his Pet's fingers and stood up straight. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips in apology. "Later," he told her. 

Kagome's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "I'll hold you to that," she said with a wink. 

"Good," was Inu Yasha's response. "Now let's keep going." 

Kagome nodded and threaded her arm through his, resuming the position she had claimed at the beginning of their adventure. "Lead on, oh wondrous Master," she smiled. 

"Oh shut up," came the reply, a hint of color coming into the silverhair's cheeks.

* * *

"I never realized that ice cream could be sexy," Inu Yasha thought as he nursed his cinnamon coffee in an attempt to keep his hands off his dining partner. 

The couple had spent nearly another hour simply wandering around, Kagome staying right by her Master's side now, just letting her eyes wander and take in all the sights. Finally, after many painful complaints from feet unused to such exercise, they came across a small cafe where they could give in to the demands. As soon as they had sat down at one of the wrought aluminum tables, a waiter had bustled up to them with much bowing and scraping, apologizing that they had nothing more suited to a silverhair.

Inu Yasha ignored him in favor of looking over the menu. 

The man eventually ran out of apologies and recommendations, and in the silence that followed, his inexperience showed as he unconsciously started shifting from foot to foot. 

Kagome had already made her decision, and she watched the waiter with both amusement and sympathy. Inu Yasha had probably already made up his mind.. he was looking at the servant out of the corner of his eye, but was indulging in a rare moment of enjoying his status. 

After another minute or so, the silverhair ordered his coffee and his Pet ordered a marshmallow sundae. 

And he would swear she chose that particular confection on purpose. 

Her eyes were half-closed in obvious delight as she licked the white, sticky substance from her spoon, then dove back in for more. The fact an unconscious "mmm" issued from her throat every time she finished a spoonful didn't help, either. 

His coffee was cold by the time she finished, but the heat had seeped into his body, bringing color to his cheeks and making him once again curse Tanagura fashion. It would be a little while before he could safely stand up. 

"You've been awfully quiet," Kagome noted, studying the cherry that was the only remnant of her sundae. "Are you all right?" 

"You know I'm not, wench," Inu Yasha growled. 

"I do?" the Pet innocently raised an eyebrow, then popped the cherry into her mouth, keeping her fingers on the stem. 

"Don't try and play innocent with me, Kagome. I know better," he challenged. 

"Really?" She pulled the cherry out of her mouth slowly, then sucked it back in, draining it of juice. 

"Yes, really." Now his voice had gone hoarse, watching her mouth play with the fleshy, red fruit. 

Kagome winked at him and pulled the cherry out of her mouth. "This certainly is a rousing conversation. Where has the arrogant, composed silverhair gone?" She took the stem between her teeth, dangling the fruit from her lips. 

Inu Yasha lunged forward over the table, just barely missing the porcelain cup in front of him. "Right here," he growled, the words coming from deep in his throat as he pushed his face right within a hair's breadth of her own… 

And neatly bit the cherry off its stem. 

The silverhair returned to his seat, his lips quirked into a satisfied smirk as he parted them slightly to reveal his prize. 

"No fair!" Kagome cried. 

Inu Yasha rolled the fruit into one cheek so he could retort, "Life's not fair, bitch." 

"My, my, such uncouth language. Then again, it does match the obscene display that I was just forced to witness." 

Both heads, one silver, one dark, snapped up and to the side at the exact same time, the panic and guilt of being caught shining in both pairs of eyes. Inu Yasha was the first to recover, the brilliant yellow of his irises sharpening into defiant marigold as he gritted out: 

"Sesshoumaru!" 

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Author's Note:** walks out wearing a flame resistant suit with chain mail over it, and a space suit over all that.

First, I must grovel and beg for forgiveness. It's been a rough year and a half, I'll tell you. In November of 2002, my grandfather's health began to fail. He passed away in January of 2003. Then just as I was coming out of grief, in August of 2003, my best friend needed me to help piece together his life. He's finally on the road to recovery. So now I have a tiny bit more time to work on fics as the muse strikes (YAY!).

And after all this time, I leave you guys with a cliffhanger. evil grin It.. it just seemed a good place to end the chapter! Don't worry, though. More is on the way! pats her notebook with a sneaky grin on her face

Of course, if you would like to review, please, please do! I should just start calling them "Writer Snacks". You know, like "Scooby Snacks"? I live on them! I like praise. Constructive criticism is wonderful! Flames will be used to make S'mores. Mmmm.... 


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